Proposed Levy Fees on Port Calls Could Impact U.S. Dry Bulk Trades
Cargo movements into and out of the United States could be re-shaped by proposals to levy fees on port calls by Chinese built or operated vessels, as well as potential sanctions based on whether the operator controls ships built in China or has tonnage on order there.In its Q1 2025 Dry Bulk Market Report, Maritime Strategies International (MSI) noted that as currently envisaged, the rules provide little clarity but could have a significant potential impact on North American dry bulk trades.
AMSA Fines Uncooperative Owner
In Australia, Gladstone Magistrates Court has fined Universal Shipping Alliance Ltd, owner of the bulk carrier KMAX Leader, A$63,000 ($40,000) for failing to comply with an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) written direction and ordered them to pay court costs.KMAX Leader, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier, entered the Port of Gladstone in October 2023 due to propulsion issues. The vessel undertook extensive work in November 2023 which failed to repair the ship’s propulsion.Concerned with the lack of an effective repair plan…
ICS and CMI Renew Call for Treaty Ratification
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Comité Maritime International (CMI) have launched an updated campaign for promoting maritime treaty ratification as there is a long-standing concern that many governments are not ratifying important international conventions despite their adoption at IMO and other regulatory fora.The campaign highlights the international maritime Conventions which ICS and CMI believe are significantly important for governments to ratify as a matter of urgency.
Salvage Efforts for Stena Immaculate Tanker Continue in North Sea
Stena Bulk, the owner of the Stena Immaculate oil tanker, said it is working closely with the manager of the vessel Crowley and U.K. agencies following the last week’s allision with incident the container ship Solong.Salvage experts from SMIT Salvage are continuing with their detailed onboard assessments of Stena Immaculate.As of March 16, the third-party salvage team has confirmed that damage resulting from the containership Solong striking the Stena Immaculate was limited to one cargo tank containing Jet A-1 fuel and one ballast tank containing sea water.At the time of the allision…
ABS Raises Concerns Over IMO’s ‘Wild Card’ Carbon Levy Proposal
Uncertainty about the scale and nature of the IMO’s proposed carbon levy is holding back investment in shipping, according to the Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).“A carbon levy is a wild card. It will all depend on how it is implemented and enforced. There’s a huge question mark over whether this will deliver for the industry and there is much still to be decided,” said Wiernicki.Wiernicki expressed his concerns during an appearance at CERAWeek energy conference.“Will the levy be set at $18, $100 or even $150 per ton?
China Shipowners' Association Opposes U.S. Port Fees
The China Shipowners' Association opposes a U.S. proposal to slap hefty port entry fees on ocean cargo carriers that own or have ordered vessels from China, saying it violates international rules and U.S. laws, according to a statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.U.S. President Donald Trump's administration aims to partially pay for an American shipbuilding comeback with those fees, according to a draft executive order seen by Reuters.The CSA's members include China's COSCO Shipping, which is expected to be among the hardest hit by the fees proposed by the U.S.
Russian Strike on Grain Vessel in Odesa Port Kills Four
A Russian missile attack on Tuesday damaged a grain vessel in the Black Sea port of Odesa, killing four people, Ukrainian authorities said.A ballistic missile struck the MJ Pinar bulk carrier that was loading wheat for Algeria, killing four Syrian nationals and injuring one other Syrian and a Ukrainian, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram."Russia is attacking Ukraine's infrastructure, including ports, which are involved in ensuring the world's food security…
Salvage Ops Set to Begin as Fire Diminishes on Stena Immaculate Tanker
A fire onboard the Stena Immaculate oil tanker has greatly diminished with no visible flames, as initial salvage activities begin in the North Sea, the manager of the vessel Crowley reported.Crowley said it is working closely with U.K. agencies to support the incident response, salvage and environmental impact mitigation operations resulting from container ship Solong striking the tanker Stena Immaculate while at anchor on Monday, March 10.Worth noting, Solong’s owner has characterized…
New Grain Loading Rules Allow for Special Compartment
ABS has provided guidance on the recent amendments to the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Grain in Bulk (Grain Code) that will become effective on January 1, 2026.Originally adopted in 1991, the Grain Code specified loading conditions for grain transport. However, these conditions did not account for all practical loading scenarios, particularly concerning "specially suitable compartments."The IMO has now defined a new loading condition which addresses compartments that are partly filled in the way of the hatch opening with ends untrimmed…
The Race is On to Find Vessel Collision Clues
Inevitably, when a maritime accident like the one involving U.S.-flagged chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container vessel Solong happens, the first question invariably is an incredulous: "How could this happen"?Now, a relatively rare collision off the coast of Britain has sparked concerns over what went wrong despite standard safety protocols, according to three shipping and insurance industry sources.The incident, which occurred on the morning of Monday…
IOPC Funds Not Relevant to Stena Immaculate Collision
The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) has offered its view on the collision between the Solong and Stena Immaculate off the north-east coast of the UK on March 10, saying:“Whilst the United Kingdom is a 1992 Fund Member State and the Stena Immaculate appears to be a ship, as defined in the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions, according to reports, the tanker was carrying jet fuel, which is a non-persistent oil. Therefore, any claims for compensation in the event of pollution damage resulting from this incident would not be covered by the 1992 Conventions.
USCG Safety Alert: Recalled Defective Heat Detectors
The Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on board an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on board multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms. These detectors had been recalled by the manufacturer in 2019 for failure to activate within their listed temperature range.
PML Study Examines UK Wind Farm, Fishermen Conflicts
Researchers at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), alongside colleagues at the University of Aberdeen, found that the majority of UK fishermen feel their livelihoods are being threatened by the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms (OWFs), with impacts felt across all vessel sizes and fleet sectors.The study reveals that while the UK leads globally in offshore wind energy production, providing 45% of European capacity and 24% of global capacity, this growth is creating significant spatial conflicts with the commercial fishing industry as both sectors compete for limited marine space.
Canadian, U.S. Coast Guards Team on Caribbean Sea Drug Bust
On March 1, 2025, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf successfully assisted a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) in conducting a seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. This seizure, supported by Colombian air and maritime assets, has an estimated street value $18.8 million.Sailing in support of Operation CARIBBE, Canada's contribution to the United States (US)-led enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea…
OPINION: Balzano on Why New Hampshire Needs the Jones Act
Reproduced Courtesy NH JournalThere has been a lot of discussion in New Hampshire lately about the effectiveness of a pro-American law that has been providing national and economic security for the United States for many years. I want to provide some stakeholder’s perspective and perhaps add some context as to how this issue relates to New Hampshire.The Jones Act is a series of laws that ensure that America controls its own critical supply lines. The Act ensures our most important commodities – like heating oil and other fuels…
INLAND Insights: Time to Remedy Inefficiency in Executive Order 12322
The members of Waterways Council, Inc., (WCI) the national organization that advocates for a modern, efficient, well-maintained system of ports and inland waterways, recently met in Washington, DC with Members of the 119th Congress to discuss WCI key and related priorities for 2025. An ancillary issue that WCI is looking to address is the removal or modification of an antiquated 1980s Executive Order (EO) 12322 that mandates any federal or federally assisted land or water resources…
US Plans to Halt Vessels as it Aims to Disrupt Iran's Oil
President Donald Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.Trump has vowed to restore a "maximum pressure" campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.Trump hit Iran with two waves of fresh sanctions in the first weeks of his second-term…
Svitzer Steadily Builds a Maritime Behemoth
Operating one of the world’s largest marine fleets of any kind, it is Svitzer’s local footprint that speaks volumes for its diverse and far-flung workforce and assets. Strengthened by a multi-national team, providing value in more than three dozen countries, Svitzer stands out every day. On 30 April 2024, Svitzer was listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (SVITZR) as a result of the previously announced separation from its former parent company, A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S. Danish national Kasper Karlsen has been Global Chief Operating Officer of the Svitzer Group since December 2022.
Danish Shipping Supports EU’s New Russian Sanctions Package
The EU has just adopted its 16th sanctions package against Russia. The package targets systemically important sectors of the Russian economy such as energy, trade, transport, infrastructure and financial services.To curb the risk of our sanctions being bypassed, certain provisions of the 16th package are now also mirrored in the Belarus sanctions regime. The EU has in addition updated and strengthened its sanctions regimes concerning Crimea and Sevastopol, and the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk…
Proposed USTR Fees on Chinese Shipping: What you Need to Know Now
On February 21, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (UST) released a notice of a proposal to impose wide-ranging fees on shipping companies and vessels with a Chinese nexus. The USTR has yet to release regulatory or administrative language that implements the proposals, and there is no guarantee this will actually happen. Interested parties should consider submitting comments as well as reviewing their charterparty and other relevant agreementsSUMMARY OF USTR PROPOSALSThe USTR notice does not set forth a single unified scheme of fees…
USTR Floats $1.5m Charge to Chinese-Built Ships Entering US Ports
The U.S. Trade Representative's office has proposed charging up to $1.5 million for Chinese-built vessels entering U.S. ports as part of its investigation into China's growing domination of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors.USTR said in a January 16 report on a probe launched during the administration of former President Joe Biden that China increased its share of global shipbuilding tonnage from 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023 because of massive state subsidies…
Migrants Plucked from Energy Platform Off Tunisia
A charity vessel has rescued more than 30 migrants including two children who had been stranded for four days on a gas platform in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tunisia, the Sea-Watch organization said on Tuesday."This morning, Sea-Watch's fast ship Aurora left (the Italian island of) Lampedusa to rescue them.
WASHINGTON WATCH: A Maritime Reflection on the First 30 Days
The first thirty days of the new Trump Administration have brought sweeping changes throughout the federal government. We take a pause to assess where things stand for maritime stakeholders and what may be coming next in Washington, DC, for our industry.A Maritime DirectiveFor those that work in the U.S maritime space, it is axiomatic to state that all aspects of the maritime industry are critical to our national security. U.S. flag vessels and merchant mariners not only support U.S. economic prosperity, but also build the key sea lines of communication to support military operations.
