Government Update News


Bill Secures Funding for US Warship

Dec 15, 2014

The United States Senate voted 56-40 to pass bill H.R. 83 which funds the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year. The funding ensures the construction of a 12th LPD-17 amphibious ship at Ingalls shipbuilding in Pascagoula…

Bill Introduced to Protect Great Lakes from Invasive Species

Dec 15, 2014

Camp, Stabenow, Slaughter Introduce Guarding Our Great Lakes Act The Guarding Our Great Lakes Act, a bipartisan legislation designed to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of invasive Asian carp, has been introduced by U.S. Congressman Dave Camp (R-Mich…

Oil Price Slid Beyond Fundamentals - OPEC

Dec 14, 2014

The secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said on Sunday the price of oil had fallen further than market fundamentals would have dictated.Speaking at an event in Dubai, Abdullah al-Badri added…

CEZ to Close its Bulgarian Thermal Plant

Dec 14, 2014

Czech power utility CEZ will wind down operations of its coal-burning plant in Bulgaria on Jan. 1, after it failed to get an exemption from European Union environmental rules, the company said on Saturday.CEZ had hoped Brussels may allow…

Russia Says Will React if U.S. Imposes New Sanctions

Dec 14, 2014

Russia will take counter measures if Washington imposes new sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday.The U.S. Congress has readied new sanctions on Russian weapons companies…

Petrobras' Condensed Report for 3Q, 2014

Dec 13, 2014

Petrobras clarifies that it has been decided not to publish the financial statements for the third quarter of 2014 not reviewed by the independent auditors in view of the new incidents, after the day November 13, 2014, relating, directly or indirectly…

Jones Act Gets Staunch Support

Dec 13, 2014

The United States Congress this week enacted the strongest statement of support for the Jones Act and the American domestic maritime industry since the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. The measure was included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H…

China Adds 9 Shipyards to Favored 'White List'

Dec 12, 2014

China has added nine shipyards to its 'white list' of firms deemed worth of favourable policy support, as it attempts to tackle overcapacity that has weighed on the global shipping market. In September, it published a list of 51 yards which it later cut to 50…

Call on Governments to Address Migrants at Sea Crisis

Dec 12, 2014

Speaking at a high level Dialogue on Protection at Sea, hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has called on governments to address the growing refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean…

5 Kalmar RTGs for GCT, Poland

Dec 12, 2014

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has gained a further order for five of its latest generation zero emission rubber-tyred gantry granes (RTGs) from Gdynia Container Terminal (GCT) in Poland. The order follows the delivery of two similar machines earlier in 2014…

USS Paul Hamilton Rescues Mariner

Dec 12, 2014

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) rescued a stranded mariner Dec. 9 while operating south of the Hawaiian Islands.Paul Hamilton Sailors rendered assistance to Ron Ingraham after receiving a distress call from U…

US Lawmakers Give Preview of Oil Export Fight

Dec 11, 2014

U.S. lawmakers gave a preview on Thursday of a looming fight next year on lifting the ban on crude exports with supporters saying it would sustain the drilling boom and others questioning its impacts on industry and fuel prices. In a House of Representatives hearing on the ban…

WW II Merchant Mariners Torpedoed by Congress

Dec 11, 2014

Op-ed by J. Don Horton What the German U-boats couldn’t do in World War II, our U.S. Congress accomplished in one single stroke. They torpedoed the chances of some 30,000 WW II Coastwise Mariners to gain recognition as veterans. This action…

International Trade Up 6.8% at Port Everglades

Dec 11, 2014

Port Everglades is experiencing a surge in international trade with a 11 percent increase in TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the industry’s standard measurement for container volumes) and a 6.85 percent increase in the dollar value of all…

AAPA: FY’15 ‘Cromnibus’ Bill Supports Ports

Dec 10, 2014

Significant increases seen for Corps’ seaport programs & EPA’s DERA grants.In reviewing the proposed $1.01 trillion Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 hammered out in Congress late yesterday, the American Association…

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