Usa News
Russian Urals Discounts in India Triple Since August as US Sanctions Hit
Discounts for Russian flagship Urals crude in Indian ports have tripled since August against dated Brent as U.S. sanctions drive key buyers away from Moscow-supplied oil, three sources involved in the trade said.The United States last month imposed its toughest sanctions yet on Russia’s energy sector, targeting oil majors Lukoil and Rosneft. Friday marks the deadline for companies to wind down all dealings with the two producers.Urals crude has been a mainstay feedstock for Indian refiners since 2023, when Moscow redirected flows to Asia after the European Union banned Russian energy.
NOAA to Hold Keel-Laying Ceremony for New Charting, Mapping Vessel
NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will celebrate the keel-laying for Navigator, the second of two new charting and mapping vessels being constructed for NOAA. The vessel is being built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC., in Houma, Louisiana.The keel-laying is a centuries-old maritime tradition that formally recognizes the start of a ship's construction. During the ceremony, the initials of the ship’s sponsor will be welded onto a steel plate that will be incorporated into…
US Natural Gas Futures Ease 1% on Ample Gas in Storage
U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Thursday on near-record output and ample amounts of gas in storage despite near-historic flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for colder weather and higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected.The price decline also came despite a federal storage report that showed energy firms pulled gas out of storage for the first time this winter during last week's cold weather.Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 3.7 cents…
Wärtsilä Water & Waste Achieves 98.2% Compliance in Alaskan Cruise Wastewater Testing
Wärtsilä Water & Waste, part of Wärtsilä, continues to deliver wastewater treatment performance in one of the world’s most closely monitored marine environments through their Hamworthy membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems, according to independent regulatory data from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).During the 2024 Alaska cruise season, fourteen vessels equipped with Wartsila's Hamworthy MBR systems achieved a 98.2% compliance rate under DEC’s public testing program.
SC Ports Sees Dip in Imports, State Economic Development Remains Strong
South Carolina Ports recorded 206,859 TEUs at its marine terminals in October, a 1% year-over-year dip, as fiscal year volumes remain above plan. October marked the Port's strongest month for loaded exports since June, with an 18% year-over-year increase.The predicted slowdown mirrors national trends as containerized imports in the U.S. saw a 7.5% year-over-year decrease in October, following the front-loading of imports over the summer months.SC Ports President and CEO Micah…
Florida Maritime Partnership Welcomes Fairwater to Strengthen Advocacy for the U.S. Maritime Industry
The Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP) welcomes Fairwater as the newest member of its coalition of U.S. maritime stakeholders committed to protecting the Jones Act and advancing the interests of the domestic maritime industry.Fairwater, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-headquartered company operating under the Jones Act, adds to FMP’s broad base of support that includes labor unions, vessel operators, shipyards, and port authorities. The company is active in all major Jones Act coastwise tank vessel trades…
NTSB Cites That Loose Wire Led to Vessel Power Outage in 2024 Baltimore Bridge Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday that a loose wire led to a power failure on the cargo ship Dali that crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, killing six people and wrecking the bridge.The NTSB is holding a hearing in Washington to determine the probable cause of the incident that killed six construction workers on the bridge.The board staff said they are recommending operators complete periodic inspections of high voltage switchboards…
Saudi Aramco to Sign US LNG Supply Agreements
Saudi Aramco is set to sign two U.S. liquefied natural gas supply deals with Woodside Energy and Commonwealth LNG when Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Washington next week, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Aramco, wants to become a major liquefied natural gas player, especially in the United States, where LNG capacity is set to almost double over the next four years. It has already signed deals with other U.S.
Anschütz Establishes US Subsidiary
German navigation specialist Anschütz GmbH has founded a new subsidiary in the United States. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Anschuetz USA Inc. aims to continue the successful tradition of “Anschütz of America” and optimize customer support for sales and service partners, commercial shipowners and shipyards, as well as government entities including the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, Navy and Army.Anschuetz USA is developing local expertise in navigation and bridge systems for the newbuild and refit market, while also strengthening the infrastructure for after-sales and servicing.
China Pauses Port Fees on US-Linked Ships for One Year
China suspended for one year port fees levied on U.S.-linked vessels, its transport ministry said on Monday, after Washington announced a similar pause on punitive actions against China's shipping and shipbuilding sectors.The reciprocated pauses were in line with agreements reached by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit in South Korea last month.The suspension kicked in from 13:01 local time (0501 GMT), according to the transport ministry's statement.Beijing welcomed a November 9 announcement made by the U.S.
Odyssey Marine Seeks U.S Offshore Lease for Mineral-Rich Sand Mining
Odyssey Marine Exploration said on Friday it has sought U.S.
Poland Working on Deal to Import US LNG to Support Ukraine, Slovakia
Poland is working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. to supply Ukraine and Slovakia, an agreement that would further tighten the European Union’s ties to American energy, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.Officials expect to announce a joint declaration to boost imports after a meeting of the parties at a transatlantic energy conference in Athens later this week, one of the sources said."After that, discussions would follow on terms for supplies to Slovakia," one of the sources told Reuters.
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group as Strategic Supplier
At the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, HII announced the addition of Westley Group, a leading United Kingdom-based manufacturer of high-integrity metal castings, as a strategic supplier supporting the U.S. Navy’s submarine industrial base.This milestone marks another step forward in advancing allied defense collaboration under the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.Westley Group is now approved by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, builder of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers for the U.S.
Trump, Xi Pause Port Fees on Each Other's Vessels
The U.S. and China agreed on Thursday to pause tit-for-tat fees on each other's ships that became a major irritant in the broader trade war between the world's two largest economies and pushed up ocean freight costs.The move provides a 12-month reprieve on an estimated $3.2 billion annually in fees for large Chinese-built vessels sailing to U.S. ports and was among the trade deals reached in South Korea by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.Early this year…
US Senate Democrats Request Justification of Alleged Drug Vessel Strikes
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to hand over all legal opinions its attorneys have produced to assess the legality of the military's 13 deadly strikes against suspected drug vessels that have killed about 57 people."Summarily killing criminal suspects is prohibited under domestic and international law in both peacetime and wartime," they wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi that was seen by Reuters."These recent strikes…
US Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels Kill 14, One Survivor
A series of U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific killed 14 alleged drug traffickers and left one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, the latest operation in President Donald Trump's counter-drug campaign.The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops. The administration has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region…
American Cruise Lines Announces New U.S.-Built Vessels Through 2028
American Cruise Lines has announced 10 new ships for the U.S. market beginning with American Pioneer debuting in Florida on October 31st. American Pioneer is the 2nd new Patriot Class ship the company has launched this year. All American’s new boats will continue to sail domestically, operating itineraries across the Line’s growing portfolio, including the Mississippi River, Alaska, and the East Coast. The new ships will also accelerate American’s expansion into new niche markets such as the Great Lakes, the Arkansas River, and National Parks cruises.
US to Deploy Aircraft Carrier Amidst Tensions with Venezuela
President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.The deployment is part of Trump's military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft. It is likely to raise concern in the…
Saronic, NVIDIA Form Collaboration to Advance American Maritime Innovation
Saronic Technologies and NVIDIA have formed a strategic collaboration to accelerate advancements in maritime autonomy and robotics and chart a bold course for the future of maritime mobility and global prosperity. By combining Saronic’s expertise in autonomous maritime systems, AI, and shipbuilding with NVIDIA’s accelerated compute, software libraries, and Physical AI-focused innovation, the companies aim to advance the frontier of intelligent, resilient decision-making at sea.Saronic harnesses NVIDIA’s accelerated compute capabilities…
Coast Guard Launches Operation River Wall Along the Rio Grande
The Coast Guard announced the deployment of additional forces to the Rio Grande River in eastern Texas, starting on October 9, 2025, to ensure operational control of the border where the President has declared a national emergency. This surge operation – known as Operation River Wall – will bolster ongoing Coast Guard efforts to control, secure and defend approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande River that makes up the U.S. border there. As part of this mobilization, the Coast Guard is deploying additional response boats…
North American LNG Exporters Look to Double Capacity by 2029
Liquefied natural gas exporters in the U.S. have announced plans to more than double U.S. liquefaction capacity, adding an estimated 13.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2029, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Thursday.The EIA cited its Liquefaction Capacity File and trade press reports for the forecast, and added that the U.S.
US, UK Ramp Up Pressure on India to Stop Russian Oil Imports
Western powers have ramped up pressure on Russia's oil sales amid its war with Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump said India would stop buying and Britain imposed sanctions on top Russian oil firms.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is schedule to meet Trump in Washington on Friday to push for military and energy support at a time when Kyiv and Moscow are escalating the war with attacks on energy infrastructure.Indian officials are also in Washington for trade talks, with the U.S.
US Sanctions on Iranian Oil Target Sinopec
The latest U.S. sanctions on Iranian petroleum exports deal a blow to Chinese refining giant Sinopec by targeting a terminal through which the state major handles one-fifth of its crude oil imports, industry executives and analysts said.The sanctions announced on Thursday further complicate U.S.-China relations, coming ahead of planned talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this month.The move follows China's decision to tighten controls on rare earth exports…