Member Update - June 2026

Member Update | June 2026

In this edition, we bring together the latest updates, insights and opportunities shaped by and for our members — highlighting key activity and priorities from across the sector.

Rhett's Reflections, June 2026

When we awoke on 28 February to the start of ‘Operation Epic Fury’, few expected disruption in the Strait of Hormuz to continue well into the summer months. Our immediate and enduring concern at the UK Chamber is the safety of the seafarers facing the crisis in the region, and then the wider impact on global trade, which our colleagues across the industry are doing their best to keep flowing.

We have consistently raised these concerns with ministers and senior government officials and will keep working with government, industry, unions and international partners to protect seafarers, uphold maritime law and support the return of safe, secure shipping.

In the meantime the UK Chamber has entered a new phase with the election of our new President, Karrie Trauth, and Vice President, Donnacha O’Driscoll. Their appointments reinforce our focus on ensuring the UK remains one of the world’s most competitive maritime nations, as evidenced in our 2025 Shipping Competitiveness Index. 

Over the past few months, Karrie and I, alongside colleagues across the UK Chamber, have engaged extensively and positively with ministers, officials and political stakeholders to reinforce shipping’s importance to growth, resilience and the UK’s global standing.

Our message has been clear: the UK is a competitive maritime nation, but future growth depends on policy stability, predictability and effective partnership between government and industry.  So, there is work to be done.

Our partnerships with other maritime nations continue to strengthen. I was proud to represent the UK Chamber at the International Chamber of Shipping’s Summit and Hong Kong Maritime Week at the end of 2025, where leaders from across government and industry came together to reinforce relationships and the UK’s role in shaping the future of shipping respectively.

At the International Sea Power Conference in December, I joined leaders from the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the Council on Geostrategy, government, industry and academia to discuss warfighting readiness and to make the case that shipping, alongside our colleagues from the ports, represent industries that are critical to the supply chain that supports this readiness and to our national resilience.

We have partnered with the Council on Geostrategy for their Maritime Leaders Shipping Forum alongside fellow UK Chamber member, and Forum sponsor, Wallenius Lines. The forum announced its second cohort recently, and I enjoyed joining the first session, lending my and the Chamber’s backing to a multi-generational group of leaders in shipping.

Supporting the future of our industry is a key part of our work at the UK Chamber, and only last month (7 May), the BTA awarded Mara Kruze of Svitzer, the BTA Tug Trainee of the Year 2025, recognising her as an outstanding role model and advocate for the industry, and specifically the towage sector. 

Additionally, at our 2026 Annual Dinner, attended by more than 650 guests in February, we were pleased to recognise Norman Hawkes as Careers at Sea Ambassador of the Year 2025 for his work inspiring the next generation of seafarers, and Alfie Allen as the MCA Officer Trainee of the Year 2025, who is also a great advocate for the industry as he strides out at the start of his seafaring career. Our Annual Dinner showcased the vital work of Stella Maris who support seafarers and their families across the globe.

Looking ahead, we will bring the industry together on 9 June in Edinburgh at The Signet Library for our 2026 Summer Lunch. With shipping making a major contribution to Scotland’s economy and jobs (see The Value of Shipping 2025), the lunch will provide an important opportunity to connect and recognise the strength of Scotland’s maritime community. Our charity partner for the event is Sailors’ Society, and we hope to see many of you there and supporting this important cause.

Looking to the horizon, our flagship conference, Shipping UK 2026, returns to the QEII on 6 October, after its successful inaugural event in 2024.

The conference will bring together leaders, policymakers and innovators to discuss sustainability, prosperity, security and innovation across the maritime sector. We hope to see many of you there – early bird tickets are available until 20 June. 

As ever, if we can do anything to support you, please contact me or the Chamber team.

Member Insights | Expertise from across our network

Our Member Insights feature continues to grow, giving greater visibility to the expertise across our membership — and we want more members to be part of it.

If you would like to contribute, contact the Chamber’s External Affairs team with a short outline of your proposed content and we will be in touch to find out more.

In this edition, we feature Q&As with senior leaders from across the maritime sector, including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Quadrise, exploring the practical challenges of delivering decarbonisation at scale. We also mark Pentland Ferries’ 25th anniversary, highlighting its growth as an independent operator and continued investment in resilient, efficient services.

Do you want to get more involved in the work of the UK Chamber? 

Our committees, working groups and panels sit at the heart of our work — bringing members together to shape policy, influence government and address key issues for UK shipping.

Groups cover External Affairs; Safety and Environment; Employment; International Trade and Tax; Defence and Security; Legal, Insurance and Documentary, alongside panels including Ferry and Cruise, Offshore, Harbour Towage and the Futures Forum.

To get involved, members can sign up via the Member Dashboard and selecting 'Edit your Committees'. If you have any questions or issues when doing so, please contact us. 

Join a committee and help shape the work of the Chamber

Welcome to the newest UK Chamber members:

Horizon Scan | Key Issues Shaping the Industry Now and Into the Future

In March, we launched Horizon Scan, a regular feature exploring the key issues shaping shipping now and into the future through short Q&As with UK Chamber and industry experts.

To date, we have covered decarbonisation, building a safety culture in shipping and towage as critical infrastructure, and we will continue to expand into new policy areas in the coming months.

A re-cap of our previous editions is below: 

Events and Policy Round Up: A Look Back on the Past Few Months

A look back at recent activity across the Chamber, from major industry events to policy engagement on the issues that matter most to you, our members.