On April 17, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) published a notice of action (the “USTR Notice”) implementing its port fee proposal, first announced on February 21, 2025. The rules differ substantially from the February proposal (summarized here)…
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) issued a detailed notice on April 17, 2025, regarding actions and proposed actions in response to China's alleged targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance…
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that land-based firefighters be better prepared for marine vessel firefighting following a fatal fire on the roll-on/roll-off container vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio in Newark…
The members of Waterways Council, Inc., (WCI) the national organization that advocates for a modern, efficient, well-maintained system of ports and inland waterways, recently met in Washington, DC with Members of the 119th Congress to discuss WCI key and related priorities for 2025…
The EU has just adopted its 16th sanctions package against Russia. The package targets systemically important sectors of the Russian economy such as energy, trade, transport, infrastructure and financial services.To curb the risk of our sanctions being bypassed…
The U.S. Trade Representative's office has proposed charging up to $1.5 million for Chinese-built vessels entering U.S. ports as part of its investigation into China's growing domination of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors…
Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).Operation Thunder…
A new film produced by a group of NGOs entitled Live Exports: Beyond Borders, Beyond Imagination has been shown in the EU Parliament.During slaughter in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, the film indicates that even minimum welfare standards are ignored…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with Royal Caribbean, conducted the first biometric debarkation for Royal Caribbean cruise passengers on Feb. 2 when Rhapsody of the Seas was the first Royal Caribbean vessel to utilize…
Starting March 1, 2025, ocean common carriers of containerized cargo are expected to file documented export strategies with the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on an annual basis.The increased obligation is one of several notable developments…
China's presence around the Panama Canal is a national security concern that Panama's government has to deal with, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy for Latin America, said on Friday, ahead of U.S. top diplomat Marco Rubio's visit to the country…
InterManager, the international association for the ship management sector, has elected Sebastian von Hardenberg as President.Sebastian is CEO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) and was elected by members of InterManager’s Executive Committee…
When Marco Rubio arrives in Latin America this weekend on his first foreign trip as Donald Trump's secretary of state, he'll find a region reeling from the new administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.In the first days of Trump's second term…
GAO-25-106953, published today, says, 'Additional Efforts Needed to Assess the Effectiveness of DHS's Approach.'Fast FactsThe U.S. economy depends on the efficient flow of millions of tons of cargo each day throughout the global supply chain…