Government Regulations News

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response has agreed on the draft 2025 Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships, with a view to its approval by the Marine Environment Protection Committee in April 2025.The draft was agreed at the 12th session of the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response, which was held at IMO Headquarters in London in January 2025. The 2025 Action Plan was prepared following a revision of the initial Action Plan approved in 2018…

Germany is expanding its natural gas import options to replace Russian supply, a drive intensified by the latest suspension of Russian flows via Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump targeting Europe with liquefied natural gas exports.Plans also include shore-based regasification terminals and facilities to import and produce ammonia and green hydrogen under decarbonization strategies. A synopsis of changes and additions to Germany's energy plans and infrastructure is listed below:MUKRANMukran…

When Marco Rubio arrives in Latin America this weekend on his first foreign trip as Donald Trump's secretary of state, he'll find a region reeling from the new administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.In the first days of Trump's second term, the new president has doubled down on his intention to reclaim the Panama Canal, angered Brazilians by returning migrants in shackles and briefly imposed crushing sanctions and tariffs on Colombia in a tussle over deportee flights.Rubio's…

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Panama during his first overseas trip in the post, a source told Reuters on Thursday, as President Donald Trump makes a push for the United States to take back the Panama Canal that has angered the Central American country.Rubio is expected to depart on Jan. 31 and travel during the first week of February, making additional stops in Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador, according to the source who was familiar with the plans.Planning for the trip is still ongoing and the itinerary is subject to change…

The National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), the leading organization representing U.S. marine terminal operators and stevedores, has expressed its support for the confirmation of Sean Duffy as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), NAWE emphasized the importance of experienced leadership at DOT to ensure the vitality and efficiency of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. “Mr.

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) extends gratitude to President Trump for his decision to temporarily withdraw all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from consideration for new or renewed wind energy leasing.This important move recognizes the vital role our communities, industries, and ecosystems play in the broader national interest. The decision is a much-needed pause that allows us to reassess the future of offshore wind development and its potential…

President Donald J. Trump has designated Louis E. “Lou” Sola to serve as the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).The designation was made on January 20, 2025. Chairman Sola has served as a Commissioner of the FMC since January 2019, and he succeeds Daniel B. Maffei as Chairman. The Chairman is the chief executive and administrative officer of the Commission.“I am humbled by President Trump designating me Chairman and I am grateful for his confidence in my ability to lead the Federal Maritime Commission. There are many ways the Commission contributes to the competitiveness of American businesses, access to foreign markets for U.S. vessels and companies, and economic growth for the Nation.

The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) views President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum to pause offshore wind development projects as a critical opportunity to reassess the industry’s direction.While offshore wind offers tremendous potential for economic growth and job creation in the U.S., OMSA agrees that over-reliance on foreign renewable energy companies, foreign vessels, and foreign mariners to build American offshore wind farms undermines these benefits and is deeply problematic.“The offshore oil industry was born in South Louisiana…

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is applauding the newly released report from the United States Trade Representative outlining how China has used unfair trade practices to undercut American shipbuilding, hurting American workers, businesses, and national security.Senator Baldwin called on the administration to fight China’s unfair trade practices, leading her colleagues in support of the United Steelworkers’ (USW) effort to have United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai initiate a full investigation into China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

The safety risks posed by unregulated oil tankers are rising, and the so-called shadow fleet is a threat to both the maritime environment and seafarers, the head of the United Nations' shipping agency said on Tuesday.The shadow fleet refers to hundreds of ships used by Russia to move oil, in violation of international restrictions imposed on it over the Ukraine war, as well as by oil exporters such as Iran and Venezuela hit by U.S. sanctions.At least 65 oil tankers dropped anchor this week at multiple locations, including off the coasts of China and Russia, since the United States announced a new sanctions package on Jan. 10."The risk is growing in relation to the environmental impact and the safety of the seafarers as the shadow fleet grows…

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced that it has been awarded $1,000,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) Sustainability Management Plan (SMP)."This funding is a crucial investment in Louisiana’s future, supporting sustainable infrastructure and creating meaningful opportunities for our communities. The Louisiana International Terminal represents economic growth and a commitment to environmental stewardship and workforce development that will benefit Violet, St. Bernard Parish and the entire state.

A tugboat has stopped a tanker carrying around 99,000 metric tons of oil from Russia from drifting out of control off Germany's Baltic Sea coast near the island of Ruegen, emergency services said on Friday.The 274-metre (899-foot) Panama-flagged tanker, called Eventin, and travelling from Russia to Egypt, had been drifting slowly and unable to manoeuvre since earlier on Friday, Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.A tugboat was holding it in position and others were en route, CCME said, adding it was evaluating next steps. Evacuation of the 24-member crew was not necessary, it said."Russia endangers our European security not only with its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine but also through severed cables ...

Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a final rule that implements the 2025 inflation adjustments for the maximum daily civil monetary penalties contained in BOEM regulations in accordance with Federal law.The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act (FCPIAA Improvements Act) of 2015 requires Federal agencies to adjust the level of civil monetary penalties for inflation annually. These adjustments are intended to maintain the deterrent…

You just might get it.In the waning days of the Biden administration, the executive orders and such that get announced seemingly on a daily basis signal countless victories for that side of the equation. And, no matter which side of that great divide that you reside on, it is likely that some of those edicts will be quickly reversed by the incoming President. Of course, much of this is likely irreversible. No where is that more apparent than Biden's order to withdraw 625 million acres of ocean from new offshore oil and gas development.U.S.

Finnish police said on Tuesday they had recovered a lost anchor from the seabed as part of an investigation of suspected sabotage against power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea.Finland last month seized the Eagle S tanker carrying Russian oil on suspicion the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecom cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed."The location where the anchor was found is along the route of the Eagle S ... towards the western end of the drag trace found on the seabed…

Advisers to U.S.President-elect Donald Trump are urging him to take a patient approach to restarting approvals for liquefied natural gas export licenses, fearing rapid approvals will only get overturned in court, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.The recommendations offer a preview of the challenges Trump will face as his bold campaign promises to slash regulation and unfetter industry crash into the reality of governing an unwieldy bureaucracy.In an election-year move…

Ted Sensenbrenner, BoatUS Foundation Director of Boating Safety, has been appointed by Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas as a Representative to the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC).A coalition of recreational boating safety, state boating officials, national boating organizations, and boat and equipment manufacturers, NBSAC provides valuable assistance to the Department of Homeland Security, through the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, on matters related to recreational boating safety.

The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.President Joe Biden's administration has sought to shore up support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, given the Republican leader's frequent complaints about the cost of U.S. support for Ukraine."It's a very substantial package.

Finland's national power grid operator said on Thursday it had asked a Helsinki court to seize the Eagle S oil tanker in a bid to secure the company's claim for damages related to the breakdown of the undersea Estlink 2 electricity interconnector.The cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged on Dec. 25 along with four telecoms lines, and Finnish authorities the next day boarded the tanker, which carries Russian oil, on suspicion that it caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the seabed.Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The Federal Maritime Commission issued a policy statement today making clear it is an appropriate venue where private parties may bring class actions to resolve disputes covered by the statutes the agency administers.The guidance yields important benefits to parties that might otherwise be hesitant to initiate legal actions at the FMC for fear of retaliation or because the amount of money in dispute may be less than the cost of litigation for an individual claimant. The availability of the class action mechanism will help create a more level playing field for private parties seeking protection from potentially unlawful conduct.Today's…

Venezuela's oil exports rose 10.5% last year despite political instability and changes to the U.S. sanctions regime on the country, as partners of state oil company PDVSA took more cargoes under licenses granted by Washington.As President Nicolas Maduro gets ready to start his third term in office next week following disputed election results, the OPEC country's oil exports rose for a second consecutive year, providing revenue to contribute to economic growth.U.S.-sanctioned PDVSA PDVSA.UL and its joint ventures exported an average of 772…

Oil prices edged up to a 12-week high on Monday as a winter storm boosted demand for energy to heat U.S. homes and businesses, and on support from a weaker U.S. dollar and expectations of tighter sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil exports.Brent futures rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.78 a barrel by 11:33 a.m. EST (1633 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to $74.23.Both crude benchmarks gained for a sixth-straight day with Brent on track for its highest close since Oct. 14 and WTI on track for its highest close since Oct.

European Union marine fuel rules, effective from Jan. 1 as part of efforts to cut emissions, will raise shipping costs, although firms with vessels that can run on alternative fuels, such as biodiesel and LNG, will benefit, two shipbrokers said.The policy is the second major EU regulation focused on cutting the shipping industry's carbon emissions in as many years. Shipping transports over 80% of all traded goods and causes nearly 3% of greenhouse gas emissions.The FuelEU Maritime regulation requires commercial ships above 5,000 gross tonnage operating in EU ports to cut emissions from marine fuels, also called bunker fuels, or pay penalties.Biofuels and other alternative fuels for ships are in short supply, and there is competition from aviation and other sectors.