Consumer Price News

Attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on cargo ships in the Red Seas are having limited effect on trade to Israel and have not led to any significant inflationary pressures, Israel's Finance Ministry said in a report on Monday.Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military actions in Gaza.Their Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping…

Weeks of attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants on vessels in the Red Sea have disrupted shipping in the Suez Canal, the fastest sea route between Asia and Europe, carrying around 15% of global sea trade.For the European economy, already skirting a mild recession as it tries to shake off high inflation, prolonged trade disruption could derail plans by central banks to start cutting interest rates this year.Here are some factors policymakers are considering as they assess the implications of the disruptions.WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY SO FAR?In macroeconomic terms…

Oil rose on Tuesday as an attack by the Iran-aligned Houthis on a chemical tanker escalated geopolitical tension in the Middle East, though concerns over excess supply and slowing demand kept a lid on gains.A cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck a commercial chemical tanker, causing a fire and damage but no casualties in the latest such attack to heighten safety risks for tankers in vital shipping lanes.Brent crude futures LCOc1 for February rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $76.24 a barrel by 0915 GMT, while U.S.

More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port are due on Sunday to start eight days of strike action which their union and shipping companies warn could seriously affect trade and supply chains.The staff at Felixstowe, on the east coast of England, are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay, becoming the latest workers to strike in Britain as unions demand higher wages for members facing a cost-of-living crisis."Strike action will cause huge disruption and will generate massive shockwaves throughout the UK's supply chain…

President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which lawmakers say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs.The bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a 369-42 vote earlier this week. Biden said he had "promised to crack down on ocean carriers whose price hikes have hurt American families."The new law boosts the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping…

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Monday to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which supporters say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs. The bill was approved 369-42 and will head to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature. Biden said in a statement he looked forward to signing it into law.The bill would boost the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping, and…

A surge in container shipping rates poses a threat to the global economic recovery, with small countries dependent on deliveries by sea expected to be hardest hit by a spike in import prices, U.N. agency UNCTAD said on Thursday.A surge in demand for consumer goods during the pandemic has created major supply bottlenecks around the world, which has impacted the supply of container ships and boxes to transport cargo.Shipping and port officials expect global supply chain disruptions…

According to the latest Manning Annual Review and Forecast report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry, the manning costs have risen moderately over the past 12 months, checked by easing officer supply shortage, and are forecast to rise at a similar pace over the next five years.Manning costs rose for a second successive year in 2019 but the pace of growth remains moderate and well below the prevailing rate of price inflation. Meanwhile, the shortfall in available officer numbers relative to demand has declined close to equilibrium and is expected to reach a small surplus by 2024, but ratings remain in surplus and are expected to remain so.

The United States has adopted an "escalate to negotiate" strategy towards China, threatening a dramatic hike in tariffs to try to force a resumption of trade talks while the U.S. economy remains strong and as elections approach in November.U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected a plan to levy tariffs of 10 percent on an additional $200 billion of imports from China and ordered aides to prepare a proposal for tariffs at the higher rate of 25 percent.The levies are in addition to the tariffs on $34 billion of imports that have already gone into effect and the $16 billion of tariffs announced but not yet implemented.The administration's approach to China is the same one it has employed in dealing with North Korea…

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced that the maximum civil penalty rate for Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) violations will increase from $35,000 to $40,000 per day; and from $25,000 to $30,000 per day for Oil Pollution Act (OPA) financial responsibility violations. The increases coincide with adjustments in inflation, as required by OCSLA and OPA. The Obama administration has requested that Congress pass legislation to further raise the maximum civil penalty rates beyond the rate of inflation. “Even with the inflation adjustment, which is the limit of our current regulatory authority, our civil fine authority is inadequate. That view is shared by energy companies operating on the OCS.

The US Coast Guard issued a final rule adjusting fines and other civil monetary penalties to reflect the impact of inflation. Between 2003 (the last time monetary penalties were adjusted for inflation) and 2008, the consumer price index increased by 19.12%. Therefore, the fines and other civil monetary penalties assessed by the Coast Guard are being increased by an average of 19.12%, effective 30 days after December 23. 74 Fed. Reg. 68150 (December 23, 2009). (Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)

The U.S. Coast Guard has published an interim rule that adjusts limits of liability for vessels and deepwater ports under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The interim rule, effective July 31, 2009, increases the current OPA 90 limits of liability for vessels and deepwater ports to reflect significant increases in the Consumer Price Index since the limits were amended by the Delaware River Protection Act of 2006. The rule also increases the current OPA 90 limit of liability for the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port to reflect Consumer Price Index increases since the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port limit was established by regulation in 1995.

On February 5, the US Coast Guard promulgated its long-awaited proposal for updating the Certificate of Financial Responsibility (COFR) program. Owners and operators of vessels over 300 gross tons operating in United States waters have been required to provide evidence of financial responsibility to respond to oil spills from their vessels since 1972. The program was significantly broadened with enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), which increased the categories of damages for which oil spill liability could attach.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Delaware River Protection Act of 2005, which was introduced earlier this year by Congressman Lobiondo (New Jersey) as a result of the Athos I oil spill in the Delaware River in November 2004. 1. Anyone who knows about the release from a vessel or facility into the navigable waters of the U.S. of any object that creates an obstruction to navigation shall notify the federal authorities. - USD 1700 in 2007 and after. Additionally, within 3 years after enactment of this law and every three years thereafter, the federal government shall adjust these limits to reflect the consumer price index (CPI). 3. The U.S.