You are using an outdated browser For a better experience using this site, please upgrade to a modern web browser. Subscribe Get Daily Email Subscribe --> Contact Us Sign in Home News & Features Compliance Costs Bunker Prices Bunker Intelligence World News Latest Features World Americas EMEA Asia/Pacific Home News & Features World Geopolitical Instability Remains Shipping's Biggest Risk: ICS Report Geopolitical Instability Remains Shipping's Biggest Risk: ICS Report by Ship & Bunker News Team Tuesday June 23, 2026 Tweet Follow @shipandbunker ICS survey respondents ranked LNG and biofuels as the most viable fuels for the next decade. File Image / Pixabay Geopolitical instability remains the biggest risk facing the global shipping industry, according to the International Chamber of Shipping 's (ICS) Maritime Barometer 2025-2026 report. Political uncertainty continues to influence a wide range of operational challenges, including cybersecurity risks, regulatory fragmentation, administrative burdens and trade disruptions, ICS said in an emailed report on Tuesday . Based on a record number of responses from shipping leaders worldwide, the survey ranked political instability as the sector's most significant concern for the fourth consecutive year. Cyber-attacks, increasing administrative burdens and trade barriers were also among the highest-ranked risks. The report found that regulation, public funding and market-based measures are viewed as the factors with the greatest impact on business operations and the industry's energy transition. On marine fuels, respondents identified LNG and biofuels as the most viable options over the next decade, followed by heavy fuel oil combined with emissions-abatement technologies, reflecting a preference for solutions backed by established infrastructure and supply chains. "Global shipping is entering a period where uncertainty is no longer an interruption to business, it is the backdrop against which decisions are made, Tho