Government Update News


White House Looks to Move Quickly on $17 Billion Revamp of US Ports

Nov 09, 2021

The White House plans to move quickly on a $17 billion revamp of U.S. ports approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill.Biden is due to visit the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday to tout funding for revamping U…

New Bill Aims to Address Sexual Misconduct in the Merchant Marine

Nov 09, 2021

A group of U.S. Senators has introduced new legislation aiming to strengthen sexual assault/sexual harassment (SASH) prevention, response, investigation and accountability in the maritime industry and provide additional safeguards for the Midshipmen…

Biden to Visit Port of Baltimore, Discuss Infrastructure Deal

Nov 08, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday to discuss how the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. Congress helps the American people by upgrading ports and strengthening supply chains, the White House said on Sunday…

US Regulator Expects to Find Abuses in Shipping Amid Supply Chain Woes

Nov 03, 2021

The head of a U.S. commission that oversees ocean transportation said in an interview on Tuesday he suspects some ocean carriers have improperly charged importers, one of many factors driving supply chain woes.A broad range of companies importing…

Feds Struggle to Address Supply Chain Capacity Issues

Nov 01, 2021

The Biden Administration’s struggles to alleviate supply chain capacity issues appear to be continuing with no end in sight. Part of the issue arises from the Administration’s limited focus on ports and another part arises from Congressional stalemates…

Companies to US Shipping Regulator: Enough Probes, Start Enforcing

Oct 27, 2021

A U.S. trade group representing companies selling luggage, backpacks and other travel products has written President Joe Biden asking that regulations on shipping and other fees be strictly enforced to help bring down the cost of shipping.The Travel Goods Association…

Biden Appoints Ann Phillips as MARAD Administrator

Oct 15, 2021

President Joe Biden intends to nominate Ann Phillips to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) at the Department of Transportation (DOT), the White House announced Thursday. The position has been vacant since Mark…

White House Working to Ease Shipping Bottlenecks

Oct 13, 2021

President Joe Biden will host a meeting on Wednesday to hail progress in addressing supply chain problems weighing on the economy and threatening the holiday season, while he asks business and union leaders to do more to ease shipping backlogs…

US Trade Chief Tai Seeks Talks with China, Won't Rule Out New Tariff Actions

Oct 04, 2021

Top U.S. trade negotiator Katherine Tai on Monday pledged to exclude some Chinese imports from tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump while pressing Beijing in 'frank' talks over its failure to keep promises made in Trump's trade deal and end harmful industrial policies…

Louisiana Ports Seek Federal Aid for Ida Recovery

Sep 17, 2021

Several south Louisiana ports are requesting federal assistance to bolster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.On August 29, Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm, heavily impacting local infrastructure, waterways and communities…

House Transportation Committee Funds Key Great Lakes Projects

Sep 15, 2021

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved $1 billion for U.S. Coast Guard shore side infrastructure nationwide and $350 million for a heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as part of its budget reconciliation bill, an…

Brazil Port Regulator Targets Bunge, Two Port Agencies in Probe

Sep 14, 2021

Brazil's port regulator targeted the local unit of global grains merchant Bunge and two port agents in an investigation announced on Tuesday, threatening the trader's dominant position at a key export hub in the south of the country.The probe…

FMC Announces National Shipper Advisory Committee Membership

Sep 10, 2021

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Thursday announced the membership of its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee.The committee is comprised of 24 members, evenly divided between those who export cargo from and those who import cargo to the United States…

US Appoints Port Envoy to Address Supply Chain Disruptions

Aug 30, 2021

The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Friday that John D. Porcari will be the Port Envoy to the Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.Porcari will work closely with Secretary Buttigieg and the U…

Legal Beat: Rule B Alter-Ego Vessel Seizures

Aug 24, 2021

Plaintiffs seeking to recover from ship managers or the vessels they operate but lacking a direct claim against a particular vessel have developed a clever strategy under U.S. maritime law.  They seize a managed vessel under Supplemental Admiralty…

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