Sponsored by

Sanctioned Tankers Raise Ocean Risks; Deal Unlocks Port Investment Dollars By Paul Berger | WSJ Logistics Report

The rising number of ships under sanctions on the world's oceans poses a growing risk to commercial shipping, maritime executives and insurers warn.

The U.S., European Union and U.K. are increasingly wielding sanctions to combat the so-called dark fleet, which ferries oil and other illicit goods to and from countries such as Venezuela, Iran and Russia. In just three years, 1,125 ships have been placed under sanction, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.

The WSJ Logistics Report writes in a story for Dow Jones Risk Journal that shipping executives and industry specialists say it is only a matter of time before one of the aging, poorly maintained dark-fleet vessels causes a major maritime disaster . Cleanup operations won't be easy because sanctions complicate or prevent claim payments.

The shadowy vessels share narrow, busy waterways, such as the Strait of Malacca near Singapore, with mainstream ocean carriers ferrying oil, vehicles, factory parts and finished goods. Joe Kramek, CEO of the World Shipping Council, which represents the world's largest container and vehicle carriers, said because the dark-fleet vessels are operating outside of the law, ocean carriers can't be sure their crews are following typical navigation methods or safety standards.

The U.S. Coast Guard took the captain and first officer of a seized Russian-flagged oil tanker out of U.K. territory . $(BBC)$ Two Russia-linked oil tankers ran into navigational difficulties after losing control

in separate incidents. (Bloomberg) Quotable CONTENT FROM: PENSKE Gain Clarity. Gain Ground With Penske.

The future of transportation depends on data. At Penske, we help our customers optimize their supply chains by delivering real-time actionable insights.

Learn More

Transportation

France-based ocean shipping line CMA CGM is expanding its global maritime ambitions. The world's third largest carrier by capacity is launching a joint venture with investment firm Stonepeak to operate 10 CMA CGM port terminals , the WSJ's Lauren Thomas and Ben Dummett report. The new United Ports venture includes major U.S. container gateways at New York-New Jersey and Los Angeles and comes with a $2.4 billion Stonepeak investment.

Those funds could be useful for Rodolphe Saadé, the billionaire chairman and chief executive of CMA CGM, who last year told President Trump his company would invest $20 billion in the U.S. maritime and logistics industry. Saadé told the WSJ Logistics Report at the time

that he would triple the size of the container line's U.S.-flagged fleet, upgrade CMA CGM's U.S. port facilities and create a Chicago airfreight hub. Stonepeak says it can invest an extra $3.6 billion in future joint terminal projects.

Number of the Day In Other News

The Federal Reserve entered a new holding pattern on interest rates

and signaled little urgency to resume cuts. (WSJ)

Maersk warned that extreme weather conditions are causing severe disruptions

to logistics operations across Europe. (WSJ)

The maker of the world's most advanced chip-making equipment, ASML Holding, posted record quarterly orders . (WSJ)

Nvidia supplier SK Hynix posted record earnings

for the final quarter of 2025. (WSJ)

North Face and Timberland brands maker VF Corp recorded one of its strongest quarters

in over three years in its Americas region. (WSJ)

Werner Enterprises acquired Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based FirstFleet in a deal valued at about $245 million . (Commercial Carrier Journal)

Taiwan's Evergreen Marine approved a major fleet expansion, ordering 23 new containerships

worth up to $1.5 billion. (gCaptain)

Schneider National executive vice president Jim Filter will this summer replace

Mark Rourke as CEO. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

C.H. Robinson Worldwide posted lower quarterly revenue on weak global freight demand

and falling ocean rates. (Dow Jones Newswires)

A Russian Navy tug rescued a Filipino sailor who spent nearly two days floating in the South China Sea after falling overboard from a tanker . (Marine Insight)

Correction

The average price of diesel fuel across the U.S. in the week ended Jan. 26 was $3.624, up 9.4 cents from the week before. Monday's Logistics Report incorrectly said the price had fallen from the previous week.

About Us

Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at [mark.long@wsj.com].

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long , Liz Young and Paul Berger .

This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 29, 2026 07:08 ET (12:08 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.