Us Government News

The European Union will pause its first countermeasures against U.S. tariffs after President Donald Trump temporarily lowered the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.The bloc was due to launch counter-tariffs on about 21 billion euros ($23.25 billion) of U.S. imports from next Tuesday in response to Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. It is still assessing how to respond to U.S. car tariffs and the broader 10% levies still in place."We want to give negotiations a chance," von der Leyen said on X.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ‘restoring American maritime dominance’ through the revival of domestic shipbuilding industry and weakening China’s grasp on the global shipping market.The Order directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to revitalize U.S. maritime industries, which will provide a strategy with specific actions to restore and create sustained resiliency for the American maritime industry.Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget…

The Trump administration has pulled out of the decarbonization negotiations taking place at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 83rd session this week.The US government is threatening reciprocal measures if any fees are imposed on US vessels based on GHG emissions or fuel choices.The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy outlines a set of “mid-term measures” aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. These measures should consist of:• a technical element: a goal-based marine fuel standard designed to gradually lower the GHG intensity of marine fuels…

Nippon Yusen (NYK), Japan's largest shipping line, is concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs could push up the cost of automobiles and daily goods, denting consumer demand and slowing cargo flows, its president said."The tariffs are not directly borne by consumers, but the burden ultimately falls on them, which in turn reduces the actual flow of goods. That's our biggest concern," President Takaya Soga told Reuters in an interview on Monday.Trump last week unveiled plans to impose a 25% tariff on automobile imports, a move expected to hit Japan's export-driven economy.

The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $517.5 million at Port Everglades, Thursday.The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in U.S. courts.The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone (WMSL 758)U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913)U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump's push to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding is finding rare bipartisan support from Americans, with 72% saying the U.S. cannot remain dependent on China and other foreign producers to build ships, a poll released Friday showed.The survey of 2,204 adults, conducted by Morning Consult for the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) on March 10-12, showed strong concern about China's grip on the $150 billion global ocean shipping industry, and the negative national security implications for the United States.Only 11% said the U.S.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published a report indicating that the Navy needs a new approach to its reliance on the private sector.The Navy relies on contracts with private companies—the "industrial base"—to build and, in many cases, repair ships. These companies are critical to the Navy's plans to increase its fleet size and improve the fleet's readiness for missions. But ships are often ready much later than expected and at a much higher cost.The shipbuilding industrial base has not met the Navy's goals in recent history, says the GAO.

Maersk on Tuesday denied shipping arms or ammunition to Israel during its war in Gaza in response to a shareholder proposal at its annual general meeting (AGM) but acknowledged shipping military-related cargo."Maersk has a strict policy of not shipping weapons or ammunitions into any active conflict zone," CEO Vincent Clerc told shareholders.The proposal to ban Maersk from shipping arms to Israel was put forward by Danish shareholder group Kritiske Aktionærer.Activist group Eko in a separate proposal called for Maersk to enact greater transparency in its human rights processes…

Oceaneering International, via its Aerospace and Defense Technologies (ADTech) segment, has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to design, build, test, and deliver a maritime mobility system.Oceaneering said it has been down-selected from multiple teams, without revealing any additional details.“We are pleased to have secured this contract with the Department of Defense which, at the time of award, is the largest initial contract value in Oceaneering’s history.“This award demonstrates the cross-industry application of our maritime technology…

A tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military was hit by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, with the collision igniting a blaze on both vessels, causing multiple explosions and forcing both crews to abandon ship.The tanker, which can carry tens of thousands of tons of jet fuel, was at anchor when the smaller container ship struck it, rupturing its cargo tank and releasing fuel into the sea, its operator said. Its owner Stena Bulk gave the same details.Two maritime…

Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong Tanker, cargo ship collide off UK coast causing blaze and casualties.A chemical tanker and container ship collided off the northeastern coast of England on Monday causing a huge fire on at least one of the vessels and leading to numerous casualties.Authorities mounted an emergency response, and the coastguard agency said a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability…

Intellian Technologies, a provider of global satellite communication (SATCOM) antennas and ground gateway solutions, has open its first manufacturing line in the United States, to produce ARC-M4 Block 1 (AN/USC-75) terminals.Intellian’s has established its U.S. headquarters is in Irvine, California, as part of the company’s commitment to the U.S. Government’s mission-critical objectives and supply chain resiliency.According to the company, it has implemented a meticulous component-level supply chain control system to ensure that no components are used from vulnerable nation states…

CMA CGM Group has announced a $20 billion investment to contribute to U.S. maritime economy and support the transformation of America’s domestic supply chain over the next four years.The announcement builds on CMA CGM Group’s 35-year presence in the U.S. Today, the Group operates in 40 states and employs 15,000 Americans. As a leading partner in U.S. trade, CMA CGM transports over 5 million shipping containers to and from the country each year.Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group…

BIO-UV Group shipped a second BIO-SEA ballast water treatment unit to the United States for trials to assess the technology’s capability for use onboard U.S. Navy vessels.An M series BIO-SEA system will undergo the same testing as the compact BIO-SEA B series unit supplied to BIO-UV Group’s U.S.-based partner, The Columbia Group (TCG). TCG was awarded a contract in 2021 to develop a ruggedized version of the BIO-SEA U.S. Coast Guard-approved UV-based Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS). The program has been developed to meet a U.S. Government requirement to provide U.S.

VesselBot has highlighted the significant financial exposure for major container shipping lines under the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) proposed Section 301 service fees targeting China's maritime sector.USTR is proposing to impose fees and restrictions on international maritime transport services related to Chinese ship operators and Chinese-built ships, as it has found China’s acts, policies and practices to be unreasonable and to burden or restrict US commerce.Of the global container fleet of approximately 6…

South Korea's business leaders are taking action to offset the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies, hiring his former aides and lobbying Republican states out of frustration with delays by their own government which is mired in a political crisis.Trump's sweeping and sometimes indiscriminate trade measures have sparked existential debate in many international capitals over how much they can depend on the U.S. from trade to politics.While it…

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) needs to take action to help address workforce challenges.MARAD has about 800 employees, but the agency is facing staff turnover, high numbers of employees eligible to retire and vacancies in critical positions. And it doesn't have a strategic human capital plan to address how it will hire and retain employees.As of September 2024, MARAD had a 12.3 percent vacancy rate—116 vacancies out of 941 authorized full-time positions.

The Coast Guard gets its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years.The Coast Guard has accepted its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years, but it’s not really new. The 12,900-ton, 360-foot Anchor Handling Tug Support Ship (AHTS) Aiviq was acquired by the Coast Guard and renamed USCGC Storis (WAGB 21).According to a Coast Guard statement, “On Nov. 20, the Coast Guard purchased the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker for $125 million in a deal with Offshore Surface Vessels LLC.

Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said on Thursday the U.S. was spreading "lies and falsehoods" after the State Department claimed U.S. government vessels would be able to pass through the Panama Canal without paying.The comments were likely to exacerbate tensions between the two countries after the U.S. had cited progress on military cooperation and confronting alleged Chinese influence over the canal.Later, Mulino added on social media that he would speak to U.S. President Donald…

U.S. President Donald Trump will restore his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran and drive its oil exports down to zero, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz for traffic as a retaliation for Western pressure. That would shut down the region's trade and lead to a spike in oil prices.The Streit of Hormuz & OilThe strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point…

Saildrone is scaling up its fleet in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States in response to the US-declared state of emergency at its southern border.On the water, the US Navy and Coast Guard have moved fleets of ships into place. These agencies are responsible for securing thousands of miles of coastline and open ocean, but assets are extremely limited, and there is too much water to cover.Now, Saildrone is doubling its fleet…

The more than half decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag.More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law.Has it been a success? If success is measured by Certificates of Inspection, then yes.

French maritime data analytics platform Kpler wants to buy ship tracking company Spire Maritime, whose satellite data is a vital resource for oil traders and shipping companies, but some Spire customers fear Kpler will cut them off and have raised antitrust concerns to U.S. authorities, sources familiar with the matter say.The $241 million deal announced on Nov. 13 would give Kpler control over Spire's satellites and maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) data stream, which tracks ships globally, particularly in the open ocean, with a refresh rate of every 15 minutes.This capability is unmatched by competitors, including Orbcomm…