Is it true that chartering a ship to a foreign company is unlawful (haram)?

The basic principle is the permissibility of financial dealings with disbelievers if they meet the Shariah conditions and are free from prohibitions. The Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions dealt with polytheists and Jews, such as the Prophet's shield being mortgaged with a Jew. However, an exception to this is anything that serves as a means to the unlawful. Thus, it is not permissible to rent out a ship or anything else for carrying wine or pigs, or for going to commit a sin, whether the renter is a Muslim or a non-Muslim.