Daily Supply Chain Report

Uzmar-Sanmar joint venture wins 20-year Kocaeli-2 regional tug concession with 75.5% public revenue share. Türkiye's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure awarded the 20-year operating rights for the Kocaeli-2 Regional Service Area tug concession to a joint venture of Uzmar Towage and Sanmar Shipping; the consortium prevailed by offering a 75.5% public revenue share; the tender was launched with TL 21.115 million provisional collateral and covers designated industrial ports, terminal jetties and coastal installations along the Gulf of İzmit; the 75.5% public-share level was significantly higher than the 41% Uzmar offered to win the Samsun Regional Service Area tender in February 2026, and is expected to act as a benchmark for upcoming regional tug tenders in Türkiye.

In the same period, U.S. CENTCOM hits Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman attempting to bypass the blockade. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said an Iranian-flagged oil tanker attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade against Iran was neutralized by gunfire in the Gulf of Oman; the action is consistent with the framework Trump set out earlier the same day, in which the Freedom Project escort operation was paused while the blockade itself remained fully in effect; vessel name, tonnage, cargo, crew status and final disposition have not been disclosed; the strike comes on top of the 42 turned-back tankers Adm. Brad Cooper announced on April 30.

Elsewhere, Damen Shipyards takes over Dakar shipyard under 20-year PPP; no direct state payment, partnered with Senegal's SIRN. Dutch Damen Shipyards Group has begun operating DAMEN Shiprepair Dakar through a joint venture with Senegal's government under a 20-year public-private partnership (PPP); the Senegalese side is represented by Société des Infrastructures de Réparation Navale (SIRN), and the contract was signed with Damen Holding BV on April 2, 2026; five candidates were prequalified and Damen Holding BV beat Jobson Italia SRL in the final round; the PPP is structured as user-paid with no direct remuneration to Damen from the Senegalese state; the facility comprises a 191-metre by 25-metre drydock, a 235-metre by 38-metre floating dock and about 500 metres of quay, employing more than 300 personnel.

Then, Vanuatu-flagged cargo ship carrying soda sinks off Andros Island in the Sea of Islands; nine crew (eight Turks plus one Azerbaijani) rescued. Greek state broadcaster ERT reported on the morning of May 6, 2026 that a Vanuatu-flagged cargo ship carrying 8,000 tonnes of soda from Albania to Ukraine struck rocks and sank off Andros Island in the Sea of Islands; the nine-strong crew comprising eight Turkish and one Azerbaijani nationals was rescued by the Greek Coast Guard and transported to Andros Island, with no casualties or serious injuries reported.

Continuing on, CMA CGM San Antonio container ship struck by missile in Strait of Hormuz, crew injuries reported. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) data, the Malta-flagged CMA CGM San Antonio container ship was struck by a probable cruise missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with some crew members reported injured; CBS News reported the incident, the latest attack attributed to Iran; U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause to the Freedom Project maritime security corridor at the request of Pakistan and other countries; U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the Pentagon, described the operation as a 'security gift to the world'; CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said the system layers early warning, electronic warfare and continuous surveillance.

Meanwhile, AD Ports signs MoU with CMA CGM to expand inland intermodal logistics network across the UAE. AD Ports Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CMA CGM Group and CMA Terminals Khalifa Port to expand inland logistics connectivity across the UAE and the wider region; the agreement covers a rail-linked intermodal network, inland container depots and cargo distribution hubs; Khalifa Port's reach will be extended beyond the quay into the Northern Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman; CMA Terminals Khalifa Port opened in 2024 and operates as a joint venture 30% owned by AD Ports; AD Ports CEO Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi described the deal as consolidating the UAE's inland intermodal logistics backbone.

Shortly after, Rheinmetall confirms it is working with MSC to take over Romania's largest shipyard at Mangalia. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall confirmed on May 6, 2026 that it is working with MSC, the world's biggest container carrier, to take over the bankrupt Mangalia shipyard on Romania's Black Sea coast; the three-drydock yard traces its origins to 1976, was taken over by DSME for 20 years in 1997 and then run by Damen, and has been under insolvency since June 2024; the partners aim to develop Romania into a major European shipbuilding production hub; Rheinmetall recently acquired the shipyards of the Lürssen Group.

On another front, Trump pauses Hormuz Freedom Project escort operation by mutual decision — blockade remains in effect. Trump announced via Truth Social that the Freedom Project escort operation launched on May 4 has been paused briefly by mutual decision, citing a request from Pakistan and other countries and major progress toward a complete and final agreement with Iranian representatives; the blockade remains fully in effect; per Rubio, the operation had been run with 15,000 personnel and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to rescue roughly 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries.

In parallel, Egypt and Algeria sign Sonatrach crude oil supply memorandum. A memorandum of understanding was signed at a ceremony attended by Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi and Algerian Energy Minister Mohammed Arkab, opening crude oil imports for Egypt's domestic market from Algeria's state oil company Sonatrach; Cairo continues its strategy of diversifying fuel imports across multiple countries following the U.S.-Israel-Iran war energy crunch; the Mediterranean basin route (Arzew/Bejaia → Alexandria/Suez/Ain Sokhna) offers an alternative free of the Hormuz risk premium.