US Warns of Tariffs and Port Levies Against Nations Backing UN Shipping Emissions Pact The United States has warned countries to reject a United Nations-backed agreement to cut marine fuel emissions, threatening to impose tariffs, visa restrictions, and port levies on those who support the accord, according to US and European officials. The Trump administration, which has frequently used tariffs as leverage in trade disputes, is seeking to expand Washington’s
Category: America
U.S. Shipbuilding Revival Faces Challenges Amid White House Departure and LNG Project Shift
U.S. Shipbuilding Push Stumbles as Key White House Official Departs and Hanwha Eyes LNG Carrier Build U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to revitalize America’s commercial shipbuilding sector have hit a significant roadblock following the departure of Ian Bennitt, a senior official in the National Security Council overseeing maritime affairs. According to Seatrade Maritime, at least one of Bennitt’s deputies is also expected to leave the administration, raising questions about the
DHL Suspends Shipments to the U.S. Amid New Customs Regulations
DHL has announced a suspension of certain shipments to the United States in response to a significant shift in U.S. customs regulations. The change, effective from Monday, April 21, primarily affects business-to-consumer (B2C) parcels destined for private individuals with a declared value exceeding $800. The adjustment follows the U.S. government’s decision to lower the threshold for formal customs clearance from $2,500 to $800. This regulatory change has substantially increased the
Trump’s Tariffs Disrupt Port of Shanghai, Forcing Major Shipping Cancellations
US President Donald Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs on Chinese imports brought activity at the Port of Shanghai to a near standstill last week. According to the Asian publication Caixin, on April 7 and 8, nearly half of the vessels docked at Shanghai’s Yangshan and Waigaoqiao terminals were bound for the United States and racing against time to avoid the higher tariffs. “Containers that missed the narrow window now sit
Trump Backs Longshoremen’s Fight Against Automation at US Ports
President-elect Donald Trump has publicly expressed strong support for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) in its opposition to the introduction of automation in the nation’s ports. In a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump announced his solidarity with the ILA’s stance during its ongoing contract negotiations with international shipping lines and terminal operators. These negotiations reached a stalemate in November when the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) proposed
Heart Aerospace to Conduct First Fully Electric Flight of Heart X1 in 2025
Swedish hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace is set to perform the first fully electric experimental flight of its Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1) at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York in 2025. This milestone flight will make the Heart X1 the largest fully electric aircraft to ever take to the skies. The flight is part of the ongoing development of Heart Aerospace’s 30-seat hybrid-electric regional passenger aircraft, the ES-30. The
US Ports Anticipate Surge in Imports Amid Potential Strike and Tariff Increase
With a potential strike looming at East and Gulf Coast ports in January and President-elect Donald Trump planning to raise tariffs, the United States’ major container ports are expected to experience a continued surge in imports. The latest Global Port Tracker report, released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, forecasts that the surge will last until spring 2025. “Either a strike or new tariffs would be a
Tragic Gangway Collapse on Sapelo Island Claims Seven Lives
Seven people were killed and three others seriously injured when an aluminum gangway collapsed at a ferry pier on Sapelo Island, Georgia, over the weekend. All the victims were senior citizens who had traveled to the island for a festival celebrating the culture of the Gullah Geechee, an African American ethnic group from the coastal Southeast. They were returning to the ferry landing when the gangway, connecting the shore to
Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Two Workers at Virginia Ship Repair Yard
Two workers tragically lost their lives in an accident at the Marine Hydraulics International (MHI) Ship Repair Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, last week. Emergency services responded to the incident on the Elizabeth River at approximately 7:45 AM on Wednesday. One worker was pronounced dead at the scene, while another, who was critically injured, was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries several hours later. MHI issued a statement
Port of Los Angeles Achieves Record-Setting Quarter with 27% Rise in Cargo Volume
The Port of Los Angeles recorded a new monthly high in September, handling 954,706 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), a 27% increase over the same month last year. This surge propelled the port to its best quarter ever, with 2.85 million TEUs processed in the third quarter, surpassing its previous record set in the second quarter of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los