Domestic maritime industry and its many advocates are becoming increasingly vocal about what matters most: infrastructure, jobs and the economy.
Virginia’s Sean Connaughton, away from the fray inside the Beltway, continues to provide leadership on the waterfront and beyond. At Marad, new life for America’s Marine Highways flickers with a new employee.
The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) has issued Advisory 2010-10 that confirms the validity of the claim of responsibility by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB) for the suicide attack on the tanker M Star in the Strait of Hormuz on July 28th. The Advisory further warns that AAB “remains active and can conduct further attacks on vessels in areas in the Strait of Hormuz, Southern Arabian Gulf, and Western Gulf of Oman.” The explosion of the suicide boat adjacent to the M Star injured one crew member and caused some damage to the tanker, but did not result in an oil spill or halt vessel traffic through the vital waterway. The AAB, which have been linked to al Qaeda, had previously claimed responsibility for bombings in three Egyptian Red Sea resort towns in 2004-2005 and a rocket attack on US Navy warships visiting the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba in 2005.
Hawaii Superferry auctions coincide with DOT’s Marine Highway grant announcements. One event perhaps signals the end of Title XI loan guarantees while the other is intended, in part, to stimulate shipbuilding in the U.S. markets. The disparity in dollar amounts between the two is telling.
Singapore is trying hard to appear unconcerned that it will lose the title of world’s busiest container port to Shanghai this year.
The shipping routes are changing
A growing trend among European ports to enter into agreements with Indian ports for developing trade prospects
Politicians need to be handled carefully
There will be no change in the world’s top container port rankings for 2009, despite stunning falls in throughput growth across the region.