Trump Says China Offered to Help on Iran
FILE PHOTO: China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on May 14, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Bloomberg May 14, 2026 By Omar Tamo, Eltaf Najafizada and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) –US President Donald Trump signaled China is willing to support negotiations with Iran, as he…
Crunch looming for Europe’s shortsea traders
Shortsea shipping is crucial to the European economy with some 2,200 vessels plying the intra-European markets, but green EU regulations are set to shake up the trades. Nick Savvides,Europe correspondent May 13, 2026 IMAGE: EUROPEAN UNION An ageing European short-sea general cargo and container fleet will come up against EU greenhouse gas emissions regulations by…
Trump Heads to Beijing as Iran Expands Control Over Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci Reuters May 13, 2026 By Nandita Bose and Jana Choukeir WASHINGTON/DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has said he does not expect to need…
Brazil writes incumbent divestment into Tecon 10 auction and doubles the concession floor to R$1.044bn
A 6 May Casa Civil technical note has cleared shipping lines to bid for the 621,000 sqm Tecon Santos 10 greenfield container terminal — but only if incumbent operators APM Terminals, MSC, CMA CGM and DP World commit to divest their existing Santos stakes before signing. The auction floor has more than doubled to R$1.044bn…
Brazil clears shipping lines to bid for Santos mega terminal
Brazil is making an important move that could, finally, lead to a bidding process of the new terminal at the port of Santos Michele Labrut,Americas Correspondent May 11, 2026 CREDIT: APM TERMINALS Brazil’s Presidential Chief of Staff Office has instructed the Ports Ministry, in a recent technical note issued last Wednesday, 6 May to remove…
U.S. Navy Unveils $65.8 Billion Shipbuilding Push to Launch Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’
The Honorable Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy, speaks to Sailors during an all hands call in the hangar bay of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway in the Mediterranean Sea, May 4, 2026. U.S. Navy Photo Mike Schuler May 11, 2026 The Department of the Navy…
China Maritime Code overhaul raises new risks
The China Maritime Code 2026, enacted on May 1, marks the most significant overhaul of Chinese maritime law since 1993, introducing sweeping changes to liability and compliance for global logistics operators, reports AI’s Copilot. The most disruptive change is Article 295, which requires contracts involving loading or discharge in China to be governed by Chinese…
Trump’s Feud With Germany’s Merz Puts EU Trade Deal on Edge
Port of Hamburg. Photo: Sven Brandenburg/Shutterstock Bloomberg May 8, 2026 (Bloomberg) — Donald Trump’s rift with Friedrich Merz is complicating the European Union’s push to finish its US trade deal before fresh tariffs arrive. The US president was reluctant on Thursday to delay his threatened 25% levy on European cars and trucks because he remains…
Trump Administration Launches Nuclear-Powered Shipping Push to Revive U.S. Maritime Industry
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy a speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Mike Schuler May 7, 2026 The Trump administration is opening the door to nuclear-powered commercial shipping in what could become one of the most ambitious attempts in decades to…
House Labor Caucus Joins Growing Backlash Against Trump’s Jones Act Waiver Extension
Stock Photo: Igor Karasi / Shutterstock Mike Schuler May 7, 2026 Opposition to the Trump administration’s sweeping Jones Act waiver extension is continuing to widen, with top House labor lawmakers now joining a growing coalition of maritime unions, domestic operators, and industry groups warning the policy is undermining the U.S. shipping industry while failing to lower fuel…
A New Front in Shipping’s Climate War: The Federal Maritime Commission
Container ships wait off the coast of the congested Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., October 1, 2021. REUTERS/ Alan Devall/File Photo Editorial May 6, 2026 By Sean Pribyl, Michael Amy (Holland & Knight) – Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Laura DiBella recently participated in the U.S. delegation to…
OOCL challenges FMC court system after $45m ruling
Sam ChambersMay 6, 2026 Port of Long Beach Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has launched a legal challenge against the Federal Maritime Commission, arguing the regulator’s in-house adjudication process is unconstitutional following a $45m ruling against the liner operator. In a filing submitted to a federal court in Texas on Tuesday, OOCL asked the court…
U.S. Coast Guard Counters Maritime Threats With New Special Missions Command
May 6, 2026 © Trevor Cook – stock.adobe.com The Coast Guard is standing up the Special Missions Command to oversee its deployable specialized forces. The command will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Coast Guard in responding to a wide range of national emergencies and events as the demand for deployable specialized forces capabilities increase. The…
IMO delays decision on global shipping emissions framework again
Published on 2026-05-04 at 08:10 Illustration / Archive Shutterstock The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has again postponed a decision on its proposed global framework to cut GHG emissions from shipping, as divisions among member states persist and the US failed to halt negotiations. At the latest meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84),…
China Orders Firms to Defy U.S. Sanctions in Escalation Over Iran Oil Trade
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Igor Grochev Bloomberg May 4, 2026 By Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) — China has ordered its companies to ignore US sanctions, an unprecedented act of defiance that threatens to trap a vast banking sector in the crossfire as tension rises between the world’s largest economies. Beijing has often railed against unilateral sanctions and pronounced them illegitimate,…
USACE Introduces System for Assessing Pre-Construction Notifications
May 4, 2026 © yaniv / Adobe Stock The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has launched a new module on its Regulatory Request System (RRS) that will allow users to self-verify that a pre-construction notification is not required for a proposed activity covered under a nationwide permit. Certain activities are authorized by nationwide permits if…
FMC trucker-choice mandate dismantles the LA/LB chassis cooperative
A Federal Maritime Commission ruling that gave US truckers the right to choose their own chassis provider has unwound the cooperative model that has organised intermodal equipment at Los Angeles and Long Beach for a decade, with one of three pool members withdrawn, the interoperable fleet down by around a sixth, and terminal dwell times…
IMO Carbon Plan for Shipping Faces Growing Revolt as U.S. Courts ‘Silent Majority’
Opening of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 84th Session, April 27, 2026. Photo courtesy IMO Mike Schuler April 30, 2026 The U.S. is intensifying its push against the International Maritime Organization’s proposed global carbon pricing regime, with Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella urging member states this week to consider alternatives to the stalled Net Zero Framework (NZF)…
FMC issues record $45.6m reparations ruling against OOCL
Sam ChambersApril 30, 2026 A US administrative law judge has ordered Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) to pay a record $45.6m in reparations to the bankruptcy estate of collapsed retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, in a ruling that could reshape how ocean carriers honour service contracts during periods of extreme market disruption. Chief administrative law…
FMC Judge Orders OOCL to Pay $45.6 Million in Landmark Bed Bath & Beyond Shipping Case
An OOCL containership at the Port of Long Beach. Photo: Richard H Grant / Shutterstock.com Mike Schuler April 29, 2026 Three years after bankrupt retailer Bed Bath & Beyond accused Orient Overseas Container Line of auctioning off contracted vessel space to higher-paying cargo during the pandemic supply chain crisis, a Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge has…
Governments around the USA reaffirm freedom for Panama
Apr 29, 2026 at 12:02 PM The governments of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States have issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to securing freedom in their hemisphere. In the statement, the governments emphasize that the freedom of the region is non-negotiable, as reported by the U.S.…
Delay tactics cast shadow over MEPC
Sam ChambersApril 29, 2026 Jack Hall / PA Media Assignments Familiar patterns of procedural delay are emerging at this week’s critical UN shipping summit in London, with sources close to the negotiations warning that the most contentious decisions are being deliberately deferred to the final hours of the meeting – leaving little time for meaningful…
US commits $774m to upgrade port infrastructure nationwide
Bojan LepicApril 29, 2026 Port of Los Angeles The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced a $774m investment into US port infrastructure. A total of 37 projects will receive funding under MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The awards are intended to improve capacity expansion, operational efficiency, and supply chain resilience in…
U.S. Appeals Court Backs FMC in Evergreen Dispute
April 29, 2026 Image courtesy FMC A long-running dispute over container detention charges between Evergreen and a U.S. trucking company has been resolved, with a federal appeals court siding squarely with the regulator and reinforcing limits on when carriers can impose such fees. In a decision issued April 28, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals…
Opposition to Jones Act Waiver Extension Widens as Maritime Industry Pushes Back
Oil tanker lines up to sail under Califronia’s Golden Gate Bridge. Photo by Andy Randy Shutterstock Mike Schuler April 28, 2026 The Trump administration’s decision to extend its broad Jones Act waiver another 90 days is drawing mounting opposition across the U.S. maritime sector, with labor unions, domestic operators, trade groups and lawmakers arguing the…
US-Led Bloc Condemns China Pressure on Panama-Flagged Ships
A view of the Balboa Port is pictured after Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison agreed to sell its interests in a key Panama Canal port operator to a BlackRock Inc-backed consortium, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to curb China’s influence in the region, Panama City, Panama, March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun Mike Schuler April…
Is the tide turning against US opposition to the IMO NZF?
Deliberations on the IMO’s Net Zero Framework continue as the US and its allies attempt to swing the vote against the regulation Picture of Nick Savvides Nick Savvides,Europe correspondent April 28, 2026 Large UN related meeting Opening of MEPC84CREDIT: IMO Attitudes at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are said to be changing as the expected…
UAE Quits OPEC in Major Blow to Global Oil Producers’ Group
April 28, 2026 By Maha El Dahan DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was quitting OPEC, dealing a heavy blow to the oil producers’ group as an unprecedented energy crisis triggered by the Iran war exposes discord among Gulf nations. Video Muted The loss of the UAE, a…
EU rules facilitate emissions comparison for transport companies
Apr 28, 2026 at 12:24 PM Transport companies in the EU will soon be able to compare their greenhouse gas emissions more easily after new regulations were confirmed by EU governments in February. These changes aim to help both consumers and businesses make informed decisions and reduce the risk of greenwashing. Voluntary Emission Calculation…
India Mulls Options On Iran Port Stake Before Sanctions Kick In
Chabahar, Iran. Stock Photo: Photo Tripper92/Shutterstock Bloomberg April 25, 2026 By Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Mihir Mishra Apr 25, 2026 (Bloomberg) –India is considering various options regarding its stake in the Chabahar port in Iran, including temporarily divesting from it, ahead of the expiry of a US sanctions waiver in coming days, officials familiar with the…
White House Extends Jones Act Shipping Waiver to August
Stock Photo: Igor Karasi / Shutterstock Bloomberg April 24, 2026 (Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump’s administration has given a 90-day extension to a shipping waiver making it easier to move oil, fuel and fertilizer around the US, marking the latest effort by the White House to counter supply disruptions tied to the Iran war. The…
Mexico seeks early deal on steel and autos
Mexico is aiming for a preliminary agreement with the United States on steel, aluminium and automobiles ahead of the formal review of the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact, reports Reuters. President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference that Mexico hopes to secure an early deal as US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer visits for talks. She stressed…
Act Waiver 90 Days as Maritime Industry Says Fuel Relief Never Came
Stock Photo: SOMKIET POOMSIRIPAIBOON / Shutterstock Trump Moves to Extend Jones Mike Schuler April 23, 2026 The Trump administration is preparing to extend its controversial Jones Act waiver for up to 90 days, a move that would deepen an already contentious policy experiment launched during the Strait of Hormuz crisis and intensify a growing clash…
Indonesian Finance Minister moots Malacca Strait toll
The Southeast waterway is covered by a cooperative agreement between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia Marcus Hand,Editor April 22, 2026 CREDIT: MARCUS HAND Iran’s move to charge a toll for the Strait of Hormuz is reported to have sparked Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa to suggest the same idea for the Malacca Strait. One of the…
Congress Confronts U.S. Shipbuilding Crisis as Maritime Buildout Meets Reality Check
National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) under construction at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Photo courtesy Hanwha Philly Shipyard Mike Schuler April 22, 2026 A rare joint House hearing on Wednesday laid bare both the ambition and the friction behind Washington’s growing push to revive American shipbuilding, as administration officials promoted an expansive maritime buildout while congressional watchdogs…
IMO moves to tighten ship registration rules amid surge in flag fraud
Sam ChambersApril 20, 2026 IMO The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved new guidelines aimed at improving transparency in ship registration and cracking down on the growing misuse of flags. Adopted by the IMO’s Legal Committee during its 113th session in London, the measures are designed to strengthen due diligence, enhance oversight of registries and…
IMO Warns Hormuz Toll Would Set ‘Dangerous Precedent’
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at the opening of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 2nd extraordinary session, 14-17 October, 2025. Mike Schuler April 9, 2026 LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) – Imposing a toll on ships sailing through the critical Strait of Hormuz would “set a dangerous precedent” and countries should not impede freedom of navigation, the…
France sharpens penalties in fresh push against shadow fleet
Sam ChambersApril 9, 2026 France is moving to tighten its grip on illicit tanker activity with plans to double penalties for vessels operating without proper flags or refusing to comply with authorities, in a clear escalation of efforts to curb Russia-linked shadow fleet operations. Under a draft update to the country’s military planning law, shipowners,…
Port Tampa Bay Receives $10m Federal Investment to Strengthen Supply Chain, Regional Economy
April 9, 2026 © Port Tampa Bay U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor joined Port Tampa Bay leadership to announce $10 million in federal funding to support the Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, an investment that will enhance navigation safety, expand cargo capacity and strengthen supply chains across Florida. The funding included $3 million secured by Rep. Castor…
Trump Announces 50% Tariffs on Nations Supplying Iran With Weapons
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on tariffs, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Reuters April 8, 2026 By David Lawder and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that imports from countries supplying Iran…
US regulator merger plan rewrites post-Deepwater Horizon reforms
Bojan LepicApril 6, 2026 The US Department of the Interior has announced the start of a phased plan to establish the Marine Minerals Administration, which will bring together the functions of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). According to the Department, this action is intended…
Concerns Raised by Repeated Chinese Detentions of Panama-Flagged Vessels
April 2, 2026 © Adobe Stock/BlackMac Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that it was closely monitoring…
US probes China retaliation against Panama
The US Federal Maritime Commission said it is monitoring China’s detention of Panama-flagged vessels after Panama seized terminals from Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, reported American Shipper. FMC chairwoman Laura DiBella said inspections in Chinese ports have surged far beyond normal levels and appear intended to punish Panama following the transfer of Hutchison’s assets. She said…
US Removes Sanctions on Three Russian Vessels, Says Move Not Policy Shift
Fesco Logistics Company. (Source: Fesco) Malte Humpert March 31, 2026 The United States has removed sanctions on three Russian-flagged vessels, including container ships Fesco Moneron and Fesco Magadan and the cargo ship Sv Nikolay, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday, in a move officials described as routine and not indicative of a broader change in…
U.S. Court Upholds FMC Rule on Carrier Refusals to Deal
March 31, 2026 © FMC The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rule defining when ocean carriers unlawfully refuse to negotiate or provide vessel space, rejecting a challenge from the World Shipping Council (WSC). The case stems from the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA),…
Bahamas reforms maritime regulation
Mar 30, 2026 at 8:41 AM The Bahamas has initiated a reform process in maritime regulation with the „Merchant Shipping Act 2021.“ The new regulations, set to come into effect on April 1, 2026, aim to modernize the regulatory framework for shipping in the country and align it with the requirements of the global…
EU MEPs set conditions for US tariff reductions
Published on 2026-03-27 at 09:38 Shutterstock The EU Parliament is proposing safeguards to counter the unpredictable nature of Trump’s tariff policy. The European Parliament has introduced a series of safeguards in the EU-US Turnberry trade deal, struck in July 2025 in Scotland between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The…
FMC says Panama‑flagged vessels face higher scrutiny in Chinese ports
Published on 2026-03-27 at 12:38 Shutterstock The US Federal Maritime Commission is tracking a rise in inspections of Panama‑flagged ships at Chinese ports following the annulment of CK Hutchison’s concession at Panama Canal terminals. The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said China has recently increased inspections of Panama‑flagged vessels at its ports, a move that…
EU vessel sanctions and the politics of administrative overreach
SplashMarch 27, 2026 Greenpeace Dr Hendrik Müller-Lankow, a German lawyer representing Russian and foreign ship operators in litigation before the General Court of the European Union, writes for Splash today. Few areas of European Union (EU) sanctions policy reveal the gap between political ambition and legal discipline as clearly as the campaign against Russia’s so-called…
Trump DOT Rolls Out $488M Port Funding Push to ‘Restore Maritime Dominance’
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy a speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Mike Schuler March 26, 2026 The Trump administration is rolling out nearly half a billion dollars in new port funding, with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announcing…
Jones Act Waiver Leaves Key Question Unanswered: What Laws Apply to Foreign Ships in U.S. Trade?
Stock Photo: Igor Karasi / Shutterstock Mike Schuler March 25, 2026 Legal Gray Zone Emerges as Foreign Ships Enter Domestic Trades Under Emergency Waiver As the Trump administration’s 60-day Jones Act waiver begins reshaping U.S. coastal shipping, a more fundamental issue is coming into focus—what rules actually apply to foreign vessels now operating in domestic…
US calls for abandonment of IMO’s Net Zero Framework
Battle lines are being drawn at the IMO as the US lines up to sink the IMO’s Net Zero Framework. Nick Savvides,Europe correspondent March 20, 2026 IMAGE: IMO The US delegation at the IMO has set out its decarbonisation plans for shipping by calling for the UN body to abandon its Net Zero Framework (NZF) and not…
Spin takes US Maritime Action Plan away from shipbuilding
MAP messaging turns to maritime system and market evolution in the face of robust scepticism on US shipbuilding ambitions. Gary Howard,Middle East correspondent March 18, 2026 IMAGE: INFORMA MARKETS The US Maritime Action Plan (MAP) — the Trump administration’s February 2026 plan to revitalise US shipbuilding and build a resilient maritime workforce — was met with…
Industry Bodies Raise Concerns about Jones Act Waiver
March 18, 2026 Copyright spiritofamerica / AdobeStock Major US maritime organizations have issued statements voicing their concern over the Trump Administration’s decision to issue a sweeping 60-day waiver of the Jones Act. Under the Jones Act, goods shipped between U.S. ports must be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and mostly U.S.-owned. A coalition…
New EU framework for small ports to boost heavy-lift capacity
Published on 2026-03-16 at 08:07 Port of Gothenburg Port of Gothenburg / LinkedIn A new advisory programme launched by the European Commission and European Investment Bank (EIB) could help smaller ports develop the investment cases needed to upgrade heavy-lift infrastructure and project cargo-handling capacity. The JASPERS (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions) initiative…
Trump orders restart of California offshore oil project amid Iran war
Bojan LepicMarch 16, 2026 BSEE The Trump administration has instructed Sable Offshore to resume operations at the Santa Ynez Unit and Santa Ynez Pipeline System off the coast of California, citing supply risks from Iran’s Strait of Hormuz closure. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued the order on Friday under President Trump’s March 13 executive…