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The global maritime industry is observing World Maritime Day as attacks on commercial vessels and disruptions to major shipping routes put renewed attention on the need to turn international maritime rules into effective action.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is marking the day on September 24 under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.” For the first time, the theme will run across two years, covering 2026 and 2027.

The focus comes as merchant ships face security threats in several conflict zones, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The IMO said attacks in conflict areas have resulted in the deaths of seafarers and disrupted international trade and critical supply chains.

In a September 16 update, the IMO said it had verified 80 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, resulting in at least 22 seafarer deaths.

IMO puts implementation at the center

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said this year’s theme reflects the need to ensure that international regulations produce practical results for people working across the maritime sector.

The IMO’s message is centered on implementing global rules through national legislation, stronger enforcement, training and technical support.

“Seafarers come first,” Dominguez said in his World Maritime Day message.

The organization develops international rules covering areas including ship safety, environmental protection, maritime security and pollution prevention. However, those rules depend on individual governments to incorporate them into domestic systems and enforce them.

Audit findings expose implementation gaps

The IMO has also completed the first audit cycle under its mandatory Member State Audit Scheme.

According to the organization, 168 Member States, representing 94% of its membership, have been audited on how effectively they meet obligations under key IMO instruments. The audits identified continuing challenges in translating international requirements into national legislation.

Shortages of technical expertise and infrastructure, along with weaknesses in ship oversight, were among the problems identified.

The IMO said the findings will help it direct technical assistance toward countries that need additional support, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

That support includes assistance with national legislation, maritime administration, enforcement systems and training for regulators, port officials and seafarers.

Shipping faces pressure on several fronts

The two-year campaign will cover some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including new technologies, decarbonization, digitalization, maritime and cyber security, fraudulent ship registration and marine environmental protection.

The timing is significant as geopolitical tensions continue to affect commercial shipping.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the international maritime framework is facing pressure from conflicts and geopolitical tensions, with consequences for navigation and the movement of essential commodities.

He noted that about 80% of international trade moves by sea, underscoring the importance of maintaining a functioning maritime system.

The IMO’s World Maritime Day campaign also emphasizes cooperation between governments, labor organizations and the private sector to translate international commitments into practical improvements for seafarers, ports and ship operators.

Industry turns attention from rules to results

The IMO’s decision to keep the theme in place through 2027 is intended to give governments and maritime organizations more time to focus on implementation rather than simply developing additional rules.

The organization has described the initiative as a push to move maritime policy beyond formal adoption and into national legislation, enforcement and everyday operations.

The IMO headquarters in London will be illuminated in blue on September 24 as part of the global World Maritime Day campaign. Member States and maritime organizations have also been encouraged to participate.

The 2026 World Maritime Day Parallel Event is scheduled for October 26-27 in Busan, South Korea.

For an industry operating under growing security, environmental and technological pressures, the message from this year’s observance is increasingly practical: international maritime rules have to work not only on paper, but on ships, in ports and for the people keeping global trade moving.

The container shipping market could face a tougher environment in 2027 as a wave of new vessels enters service and fleet capacity grows faster than cargo demand.

According to BIMCO’s September Container Shipping Market Overview & Outlook, geopolitical disruptions and longer sailing routes are continuing to support vessel demand in 2026. But that balance could shift next year as the industry takes delivery of a historically large number of new containerships.

“Disruptions and strong growth in head-haul trades continue to support the container shipping market in 2026, but accelerating fleet growth could weaken the supply/demand balance in 2027,” said Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at BIMCO.

Fleet capacity keeps climbing

The global containership fleet has now surpassed 34 million TEUs, following an increase of roughly 10 million TEUs over the past five and a half years.

BIMCO expects fleet capacity to expand by 4.6% in 2026 before accelerating to 9% growth in 2027.

The orderbook is also unusually large. More than 14 million TEUs of new capacity are currently on order, equivalent to around 42% of the existing fleet. At the same time, BIMCO expects limited vessel recycling, meaning relatively few older ships are likely to leave the market to offset the incoming capacity.

For now, however, cargo growth is helping the market absorb the additional ships.

Global container volumes increased 5.1% year over year during the first seven months of 2026. Growth outside the Persian Gulf more than compensated for weaker volumes involving South and West Asia.

East and Southeast Asian exports accounted for more than half of the increase in global container volumes during the period.

Longer routes continue to absorb ships

The composition of cargo growth has also supported vessel demand.

Head-haul and regional trades grew 6.3%, while back-haul volumes remained broadly unchanged. That means the parts of the market requiring greater vessel capacity have been expanding faster than overall container volumes.

Meanwhile, ships continue to spend more time at sea because of diversions around the Cape of Good Hope.

The disruptions in the Persian Gulf are also keeping some vessels away from the wider container market, further tightening effective capacity.

But those conditions could change.

Hormuz outlook creates two scenarios

BIMCO has developed two scenarios for 2027 based on conditions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Its “SoH Closed” scenario assumes the waterway remains effectively closed throughout next year. The “SoH Open” scenario assumes normal transit resumes.

Under both scenarios, BIMCO expects vessel supply to grow by roughly 5% to 6% in 2027.

Demand growth would be considerably weaker, at around 0.5% to 2.5% if Hormuz remains closed and 2.5% to 4.5% if normal transit returns.

A prolonged disruption could also affect the wider global economy. Higher energy prices and restricted oil supplies could weigh on economic activity and, in turn, container demand.

“Unless Strait of Hormuz transit conditions normalise, continued oil supply constraints and higher oil prices could weaken global economic growth and container volume growth in 2027,” Rasmussen said.

Suez could release even more capacity

The future of container shipping through the Suez Canal could become another important factor.

Several major carriers have started shifting services back from the Cape of Good Hope to the Suez route. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have expanded their return to Suez across additional Gemini services, while COSCO SHIPPING Lines has also resumed some large-vessel transits.

The return of shorter Suez routes could effectively increase available capacity even without a single new ship entering the fleet.

When voyages become shorter, vessels complete more rotations in the same period. That allows carriers to move more cargo using the existing fleet.

BIMCO estimates that a gradual normalization of Suez routings during 2027 could reduce ship-demand growth by about five percentage points compared with its current forecast.

If services fully return to normal Suez routing, ship demand could be about 10% lower than under a scenario in which Cape of Good Hope diversions continue.

2027 could bring a different market

Container shipping is therefore heading toward a potential turning point.

The industry is entering 2027 with a massive orderbook, while some of the disruptions that have helped absorb vessel capacity could begin to ease.

That combination could leave carriers dealing with substantially more available tonnage at a time when cargo demand is growing more slowly.

“While the supply/demand balance has strengthened during 2026, we expect that increased supply growth will drive a weakening of the markets during 2027, especially if a return to Suez Canal routings weakens ship demand,” Rasmussen said.

For carriers and shippers, the key variables heading into next year will be fleet deliveries, global trade growth, Hormuz conditions and the pace at which container services return to the Suez Canal.

World Maritime Day 2026: IMO Calls for Action as Conflict Puts Seafarers at Risk