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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

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Pentagon chief: US will take back the Panama Canal from Chinese influence

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 8, 2025

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters in Panama on Tuesday that the United States would retake the Panama Canal back from Chinese influence. Hegseth promised to intensify security cooperation with Panamanian forces after talks with the government of Panama.

USTR Greer: Not all Chinese shipping fees will be implemented

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 8, 2025

U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer informed lawmakers on Tuesday that the proposed multimillion dollar fees for Chinese-built vessels docking at U.S. port may not be implemented in full and they might not be cumulative. Greer said at a…

Hegseth, a Pentagon official, will visit the Panama Canal following Trump's threats to withdraw it

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 8, 2025

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will get a closer look at the Panama Canal as he begins a rare trip to Central America, a nation that is still uneasy about President Donald Trump’s threats to take the canal back. Hegseth is the first U.S. Defense Secretary to visit Panama in decades.

Hegseth, US Defense Secretary to Visit Panama Next Week

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 4, 2025

Pentagon announced on Friday that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would travel to Panama early next week, where he would participate in the annual Central American Security Conference. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth will hold bilateral meetings during the conference.

Volkswagen to charge 'import fees' on cars affected by tariffs, WSJ reports

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 2, 2025

The Wall Street Journal reported that Volkswagen would introduce an "import charge" on affected vehicles by the 25% tariffs levied by U.S. president Donald Trump. Reports citing an internal memo sent to retailers said that the German automaker had temporarily stopped rail shipments from Mexico…

Taiwan Coast Guard warns China of launching war games under a 'pretext.'

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 1, 2025

A senior Taiwan coastguard official has said that China may find a "pretext", such as sensitive dates like the anniversary of President Lai Ching Te's first year in office, which falls on May, to hold new wargames around Taiwan. China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory…

New Zealand leads SailGP Los Angeles on the first day

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 15, 2025

Peter Burling, the skipper of New Zealand's SailGP team, took two victories out of four races in the sunny and breezy conditions of Los Angeles Harbour on Saturday. New Zealand, which won the first race in Dubai, took the top spot on the final day with 31 points.

Panama Canal Fees This Year 15% Below 2024, Authority Says

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 12, 2025

The Panama Canal Authority's Ricaurte Vaquez said in a Wednesday video conference that the fees for vessels passing through the canal this year were 15% lower than last year, as the waterway has more capacity. A severe drought that will occur…

State Department says US government ships can now pass through the Panama Canal without paying fees

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 5, 2025

The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday that American government vessels will be able to transit the Panama Canal free of charge. The Department of Transportation posted on X that "the government of Panama has agreed not to charge fees to U.S. The agreement is expected to save the U.S.

Rubio to Panama: China is threatening canal and changes are needed.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 2, 2025

A spokesperson for the State Department said that U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio informed Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino during talks on Sunday that Donald Trump had determined that China's influence threatened the Panama Canal, and that urgent changes were required or the U.S. might act.

Rubio begins Latin America tour with canal and migration talks in Panama

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 2, 2025

Marco Rubio, the top Trump administration diplomat, began his first overseas visit to Panama on Sunday. He was scheduled to meet Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino and discuss U.S. concern about Chinese companies that could affect U.S. shipping…

US envoy says China's presence near the Panama Canal is a security issue

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 31, 2025

Mauricio Clever-Carone, U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America said that China's presence near the Panama Canal was a concern to Panama's national security, just days before the top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio visited the country. Rubio is scheduled to depart for his first overseas trip on Saturday.

US Military to Send Additional 1,500 Troops to Border

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 23, 2025

White House announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Military will be sending 1,500 more active-duty soldiers to the border of Mexico. This comes just two days after Donald Trump signed his executive order on immigration. These additional troops…

Texas ports start resuming operations after winter storm

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 22, 2025

in the day, according to a shipping notice seen . up until now caused small interruptions to energy operations. Tuesday amid low temperatures and snow in Texas. according to the advisories. on Tuesday, the port stated. their service remained suspended. remark.

Germany secures oil-tanker that was adrift in the Baltic Sea

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 10, 2025

Emergency services reported on Friday that a tugboat had stopped a Panama flagged tanker, carrying 99,000 metric tonnes of oil, from drifting uncontrollably off the coast of Germany's Baltic Sea near Ruegen. It said that the 274-metre tanker…

At a press conference, Trump spoke about Canada, Mexico and Gaza hostages

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 7, 2025

Donald Trump, the Republican U.S. president-elect, held a presser on Tuesday. He spoke about NATO, Israeli hostages, and his desire for the U.S.A. to purchase Greenland. Elon Musk was also mentioned, as well as speculations about Canada becoming an American state. Before his Jan.

Trump will not rule out military and economic action in his quest to control the Panama Canal, Greenland

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 7, 2025

Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, declined to rule out any military or economic action on Tuesday as part of his stated desire for the U.S. to regain control of the Panama Canal. He also aspires to acquire the Danish territory Greenland.

Trump will not rule out military and economic action in his quest to control the Panama Canal and Greenland

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 7, 2025

Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, declined to rule out any military or economic action on Monday as part of his stated desire for the U.S. to regain control of the Panama Canal. He also vowed to acquire Danish-controlled Greenland.

Finland Coast Guard secures oil tanker following engine failure

Posted to Maritime Reporter on December 30, 2024

The Finnish Coast Guard said Monday that it would deploy one of its patrol boats and a towboat to help an oil tanker in the Gulf of Finland after its engine failed. It was trying to avoid environmental damage. The coast guard reported that the 183-metre-long (600-foot-long) M/T Jazz…

Trump names an envoy for Panama after US urges reassertion of control over canal

Posted to Maritime Reporter on December 26, 2024

U.S. President elect Donald Trump appointed Miami-Dade County commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as ambassador to Panama, after threatening to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal that it handed over to Panama 25 years ago. Cabrera was…
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