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Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Us Government News

11 Nov 2025

Oil Prices Rise Amidst Latest US Sanctions

© Adobe Stock/Who is Danny

Oil prices rose on Tuesday on the impact of the latest U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and optimism that the U.S. government shutdown could end soon, although oversupply concerns limited gains.Brent crude futures were up $1.14, or 1.78%, to $65.2 a barrel at 11:50 a.m. ET (1650 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $61.16 a barrel, up $1.03 cents, or 1.03%.Investors continue to assess the fallout from the U.S. sanctions on Russia, and their impact on both crude oil and refined fuel markets.Lukoil declared force majeure at an Iraqi oilfield it operates…

10 Nov 2025

Oil Prices Rise as US Shutdown Talks Advance, Oversupply Concerns Remain

© Adobe Stock/Grispb

Oil prices edged higher on Monday as investors assessed moves aimed at ending the U.S. government shutdown while concerns around oversupply in the crude market persisted.Brent crude futures rose 43 cents, or around 0.7%, to $64.06 a barrel by 1409 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $60.18 a barrel, also up about 43 cents or 0.7%.The U.S. Senate on Sunday moved forward on a measure aimed at reopening the federal government and ending a now 40-day shutdown that has sidelined federal workers, delayed food aid and snarled air travel.RISK APPETITE RETURNSU.S.

05 Nov 2025

Poland Working on Deal to Import US LNG to Support Ukraine, Slovakia

© Adobe Stock/Yellow Boat

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.

04 Nov 2025

Norwegian Cruise Forecasts Q4 Profit Below Expectations

© greiss design - stock.adobe.com

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings NCLH.N forecast fourth-quarter profit below expectations on cost pressures and subdued appetite for sea-based vacations as travelers curb spending, sending its shares down about 15% on Tuesday.Persistent inflation, tariff-driven uncertainty, and the fallout of the prolonged U.S. government shutdown on port activity have clouded demand heading into the crucial holiday season.Volatile fuel prices due to geopolitical tensions, and expenses related to drydocks…

29 Oct 2025

Master Boat Builders Unveils State‑of‑the‑Art Floating Dry Dock to Boost Throughput

© Master Boat Builders

Master Boat Builders, Inc. announced it has taken delivery of a new floating dry dock, giving the company direct control over launch schedules and accelerating vessel deliveries.Designed and built by Conrad Shipyard, the dry dock measures 155’ long x 66’ wide with 41’ tall wing walls, features a 2,000‑ton lifting capacity, and incorporates a barge bow to enable efficient towing. Master Boat will use the dock to launch recently constructed vessels. Previously, Master Boat rolled…

29 Oct 2025

Lockheed Martin Invests $50M in Saildrone to Advance USV Capabilities for US Navy

© Saildrone

Saildrone Founder and CEO Richard Jenkins shares news on Lockheed Martin's recent investment in Saildrone:Today, I am delighted to announce a $50 million investment from Lockheed Martin in Saildrone, Inc. This commercial relationship marries the world’s most sophisticated and trusted defense technology with the world’s most capable and operationally proven USV technology. Together, we will rapidly equip Saildrone USVs with all-domain defense technology for lethal military applications.

26 Oct 2025

Report: Mexican Bootleg Fuel and Money Laundering Cartel has Global Reach

© Vladimir / Adobe Stock

On the afternoon of March 8, a petroleum tanker named Torm Agnes entered the Port of Ensenada on Mexico’s Pacific coast carrying almost 120,000 barrels of diesel.Such a vessel was a rare sight in that port, which mainly hosts cruise liners, luxury yachts and container ships. Ensenada lacks the infrastructure needed to unload cargos of flammable hydrocarbons safely – making what happened later that day odder still.Waves of fuel-hauling trucks rolled up to the dock to cart away much of the Torm Agnes’ load.

24 Oct 2025

US Military Kills Five in Eastern Pacific Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels

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The U.S. military killed five alleged drug smugglers in strikes against two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, in an expansion of the Trump administration's use of the armed forces in its counter-narcotics campaign.On Wednesday afternoon, Hegseth said the military attacked a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean and killed two men on Tuesday. It was the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump kicked off a new offensive against the drug trade.Hours later…

20 Oct 2025

US, Australia Sign Critical Minerals Agreement, Back Submarine Deal

Source: social media

U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals agreement aimed at countering China on Monday at a meeting marked by Trump's jab at Australia's envoy to the United States over past criticism.China loomed large at the first White House summit between Trump and Albanese, with the U.S. president also backing a strategic nuclear-powered submarine deal with Australia to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific.While Trump and Albanese greeted each other warmly, the U.S. president expressed ire about past criticism of him by Australia's U.S.

20 Oct 2025

September U.S. Container Imports Contract Amid Tariff Uncertainty

© Descartes Systems Group

Descartes has released its September Global Shipping Report, which analyzes the latest economic and logistics trends shaping U.S. imports and global trade.According to data from Descartes’ global trade intelligence platform, Descartes Datamyne:U.S. container imports declined 8.4% from August, reaching over 2.3M TEUs in September – representing the third-highest September on record. Its volumes are 1.9% ahead of the same period in 2024, demonstrating resilience in demand despite trade uncertainty.Imports from China fell 12.3% month-over-month and 22.9% year-over-year.

19 Oct 2025

US Says It Hit Colombian Rebel Vessel

© lesniewski / Adobe Stock

U.S. forces attacked a vessel associated with a Colombian leftist rebel group, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday, the same day President Donald Trump called Colombian President Gustavo Petro an "illegal drug leader" and said payments to the South American nation would cease.Trump's comments marked a new low in relations between Bogota and Washington, which have frayed since Trump returned to office in January and since his administration launched a series of strikes…

17 Oct 2025

Chinese Sanctions on Hanwha Put $150B South Korea-US Shipbuilding Plan at Risk

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China's sanctions on U.S.-linked units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean threaten to impact ambitious plans for shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington by disrupting supplies of Chinese equipment and materials, officials in Seoul said on Friday.Beijing announced the sanctions on Tuesday as the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees on each other's vessels, in the latest exchange in a protracted trade war ahead of a planned meeting of the two countries' leaders.South…

16 Oct 2025

Offshore Drilling Gains Momentum in US as Onshore Fades

© Denys / Adobe Stock

Rigs drilling beneath the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico will drive U.S. oil industry growth this year and next as onshore production slows due to lower prices and maturing shale fields, and analysts and consultants expect the trend to continue as new technology and friendly regulations attract investment offshore.The offshore oil and gas sector took a backseat to shale in recent years because drilling at sea requires years of construction work and higher upfront investments. Entry costs were lower for shale production and returns quicker, so rapid expansion in shale made the U.S.

15 Oct 2025

China’s Move Against Hanwha Units Seen as Warning, No Immediate Impact

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China's sanctions against five U.S.-linked affiliates of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean are seen as a warning gesture without immediate impact, and Beijing is unlikely to gain much by expanding them, analysts said on Wednesday.The move, announced on Tuesday when the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees targeting each other's vessels, comes ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in late October to resolve…

14 Oct 2025

China Sanctions Five US-Linked Units of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean

© ID_Anuphon / Adobe Stock

China announced sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, sending the company's shares sharply lower.The move, announced by the Chinese commerce ministry, comes on the day that China and the U.S. implement additional port fees targeting each others' vessels, although China has exempted ships it built.Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions…

10 Oct 2025

Trump Seals Icebreaker Deal

Source: Bollinger Shipyards

U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb sealed an agreement on Thursday for the U.S. Coast Guard to acquire up to 11 icebreaker ships to bolster U.S. national security in the Arctic.Trump and Stubb have established friendly ties since Trump regained power in January, and the two met in March at the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and played a round of golf.The two leaders approved a memorandum of understanding on icebreaker cooperation that is intended to lay the foundation for commercial agreements between the U.S.

19 Sep 2025

U.S. Reciprocal Tariffs: The Effect on Inbound Ocean Supply Chains and Compliance

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On July 31, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (“E.O.”) modifying reciprocal tariffs that became effective on August 7, 2025. Some aspects of the impact are well understood such as increased tariff burden on importers ranging from 10% to over 40%. Still, other aspects of the practical effect and its knock-on effects for shipping are relatively novel. Understanding these measures is essential for all import supply chain participants and their service providers as real impacts on transportation spend and compliance risk come in focus.The In-Transit ExceptionCentral to the E.O.

16 Sep 2025

China's Hold on Global Ports focus of Trump Administration

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U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is on a mission to weaken China's global network of ports and bring more strategic terminals under Western control, according to three sources familiar with the plan.The drive is part of the most ambitious effort to expand U.S. maritime influence since the 1970s and is designed to address growing fears in Washington that it would be at a disadvantage to China in the event of a conflict.Trump administration officials believe the U.S.

04 Sep 2025

Orsted Wind Venture Sues Trump Administration Over Rhode Island Project Halt

© Orsted

Danish wind farm developer Orsted's Revolution Wind joint venture has filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump over the U.S. government's decision to block construction of the project off Rhode Island, a court filing showed on Thursday.The U.S.

04 Sep 2025

Master Boat, Austal Ink Shipbuilding Deal

Garrett Rice, President, Master Boat Builders

Austal USA and Master Boat Builders, Inc. entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a strategic outsourcing partnership designed to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity by increasing the ability of regional shipyards to take on large, complex programs for the U.S. government.The companies will collaborate on current programs under contract to Austal USA as well as collaborating on future efforts, enabling greater flexibility to meet evolving fleet requirements, aiming to reduce bottlenecks, shorten production schedules, and create surge capacity for future demand.

04 Sep 2025

Trump Administration Drops Gauntlet on UN Fuel Rules, Threatens Tariffs

IMO HQ in London. Copyright Devis M/AdobeStock

The United States has told countries to reject a United Nations' marine fuel emissions-cutting deal or face tariffs, visa restrictions and port levies, U.S. and European officials and sources told Reuters.The Trump administration is looking to boost U.S. economic might, including by taking a bigger role in global shipping, and has used tariffs as a weapon to extract better terms from Washington’s trade partners.In April, countries struck a draft agreement through the U.N.'s International…

25 Aug 2025

Cerberus and HD Hyundai Partner on Maritime Projects

Cerberus CEO Frank Bruno (center), HD Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO Chung Kisung (center right), KDB Vice Chairman and COO Kim Bock-kyu (center left), and Secretary Lutnick (right) (Source: Cerberus)

Cerberus Capital Management has entered a strategic partnership with HD Hyundai to launch a new maritime investment strategy, Cerberus Maritime.Cerberus Maritime is aligned with the U.S. Government’s initiative to revitalize the maritime capabilities of the United States and allied nations. The strategy aims to identify high-impact opportunities that strengthen strategic maritime infrastructure and supply chains, maritime logistics infrastructure, port modernization, and advanced maritime technologies. The strategy will have a particular focus on U.S.

13 Aug 2025

Colonna’s Shipyard: Forged in Steel, Anchored in Legacy

Colonna’s Shipyard has historically deftly balanced commercial and government ship construction and repair work. Image courtesy Colonna's Shipyard

Colonna’s Shipyard is a fifth-generation, family-owned medium-sized shipbuilder, led by Randall Crutchfield, Chairman & CEO, today. Founded in 1875 by 26-year-old ship carpenter Charles J. Colonna with a $2,000 loan from his brother, he founded a company that has not only withstood the test of time, but today stands ready as a multi-faceted ‘blue collar industrial complex’ to help in the effort to effectively rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding base, and more specifically to help rebuild the U.S. Navy and U.S. government-owned fleet of ships.