U.S.-flag shipping Archives - Maritime Shipping News

Lawmaker introduces bill to guarantee more US-flag shipping

3 October 2022

A bipartisan bill aimed at invigorating U.S.-flag shipping for international government cargo was introduced Friday by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.

The Rebuilding the United States-Flag International Fleet Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, would restore a requirement that at least 75% of gross seaborne tonnage for international food aid programs be carried on US-flagged vessels.

The requirement, in place from 1985 to 2012, was repealed by the current law that lowered the minimum...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-guarantee-more-us-flag-shipping

Feds dodging US-flag ship cargo rules, GAO reveals

12 September 2022

Government watchdogs have found that a lack of oversight by maritime regulators is allowing federal agencies to evade laws requiring that certain amounts of international cargoes move on U.S.-flag ships.

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, “Actions Needed to Enhance Cargo Preference Oversight,” which will be the focus of a congressional hearing Wednesday, concluded that without additional efforts by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to develop regulations and enforce...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/feds-dodging-us-flag-ship-cargo-rules-gao-reveals

FMC commissioner red-flags Congress on China’s container monopoly

31 March 2022

The results of a yearlong investigation into China’s monopoly over ocean container production are being highlighted to lawmakers to illustrate the potential threat to the U.S. economy.

Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel, who released a report on the investigation publicly on Wednesday, wants to spark a policy debate on the long-term implications of the country’s “complete reliance” on Chinese container manufacturing.

“Chinese container manufacturing clearly took steps together to suppress...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmc-commissioner-red-flags-congress-on-chinas-container-monopoly

US maritime group fears waiver abuse by fuel shippers

15 May 2021

A group representing U.S. domestic maritime interests has warned the Biden administration that the Jones Act waivers issued by the government to address fuel shortages could be used by shippers to make money off the crisis.

In a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday, the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) urged the administration to reject any waiver of the Jones Act — a law that requires all cargoes moving domestically to be loaded into American vessels — unless U.S.-flag ships are...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-maritime-group-fears-waiver-abuse-by-fuel-shippers

US greenlights fuel transport by foreign ships

13 May 2021

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has waived the Jones Act to allow a foreign shipping company to move domestic fuel supplies to help shore up fuel supplies on the U.S. East Coast.

“In the interest of national defense, I have approved a temporary and targeted waiver request to an individual company,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement late Wednesday.

“This waiver will help provide for the transport of oil products between the Gulf Coast and East Coast ports to ease...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-greenlights-fuel-transport-by-foreign-ships

US considering foreign tankers to move domestic fuel supplies

11 May 2021

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is assessing whether American tankers can meet emergency fuel demands caused by the Colonial Pipeline shutdown or if foreign ships will be needed to help fill the gap.

“The Biden-Harris administration is continually assessing the impact of the ongoing Colonial Pipeline incident on fuel supplies for the East Coast and is monitoring reported shortages in parts of the Southeast,” DOT stated Tuesday. “This ongoing effort includes evaluating resources the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-considering-foreign-tankers-to-move-domestic-fuel-supplies

Biden underscores support for Jones Act

25 January 2021

President Joe Biden asserted “strong support” for the Jones Act as part of a “Made in America” executive order he plans to sign on Monday.

“The President will continue to be a strong advocate for the Jones Act and its mandate that only U.S.-flag vessels carry cargo between U.S. ports, which supports American production and America’s workers,” according to a summary of the order.

“With the signing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Jones Act has also been affirmed as an...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/biden-underscores-support-for-jones-act

Watchdog: Lifting crude oil export ban dealt blow to Jones Act tankers

20 November 2020

The 2015 repeal of a 40-year ban on the export of crude oil from the U.S. has left a sizable dent in the U.S. tanker industry, according to a U.S. watchdog agency.

A report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailed how U.S. refineries – particularly those on the East Coast that had no access to cheaper transportation options such as pipelines – were left having to pay more to receive domestic crude oil on more expensive U.S.-flagged tankers and barges before the ban...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/watchdog-lifting-crude-oil-export-ban-dealt-blow-to-jones-act-tankers

Maritime History Notes: When US intercoastal lumber trade floated fleets

27 July 2020

For over 100 years, U.S.-flag ships carried lumber from the West Coast to the East and Gulf coasts. About 40 ships were regularly employed in this trade, making about 200 voyages annually. Additionally, more than 200 smaller ships — steam schooners affectionately called the Scandinavian Navy — transported lumber from the Pacific Northwest to San Francisco and Southern California.

An interesting feature of this trade was that many of the ships were owned by lumber companies that sought to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/maritime-history-notes-when-us-intercoastal-lumber-trade-floated-fleets