Us News

Windward is publishing intelligence reports on the crisis in the Gulf as the situation develops. From today’s brief:Three Chinese state-linked vessels ran survey work over Pacific cable corridors, covering the Guam cable hub, the Japan to U.S. cables east of Japan, and the Luzon Strait.In northern Europe, two sanctioned tankers that loaded at Primorsk a day apart ran matching drift-and-reposition loiters over the gas pipelines feeding St Fergus, the terminal supplying 25 to 50% of Britain's gas…

U.S. shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes increased 1.8 percent from last year to 2.7 million tons. Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 5.8 percent. Year-to-date, the limestone trade stands at 15.9 million tons, a decrease of less than one percent compared to 2025 and 3.2 percent below the month’s 5-year average.GREAT LAKES LIMESTONE TRADE: SEPTEMBER 2021-2026 AND LONG-TERM AVERAGE (NET TONS) 202120222023202420252026Average2021-2025U.S. Ports3,022,9892…

Liskow announced the firm’s expansion into New England and the growth of our maritime practice with the addition of three attorneys: Samuel P. Blatchley, Patrick J. O’Connor, and Michael J. Pluhowski. The addition brings an established fisheries litigation and maritime regulatory practice to Liskow and adds a new office in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the nation’s highest-grossing commercial fishing port for 23 consecutive years, according to NOAA Fisheries.The New Bedford office gives Liskow a base in New England and…

Siemens Energy has contracted EST-Floattech to supply a battery system of more than 1 MWh for Marco Polo Marine's new CSOV Plus, a vessel designed to work in both offshore wind and oil and gas operations.The Octopus High Energy battery system will support hybrid and dynamic positioning operations aboard the vessel, which is being built by Marco Polo Marine at its shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. Siemens Energy is the system integrator for the hybrid power plant.During dynamic positioning…

Saronic has broken ground on Port Alpha, a new U.S. shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, representing a private capital investment of more than $3 billion and a potentially significant addition to U.S. shipbuilding capacity.Situated on 835 acres with an option to expand to nearly 4,400 acres, Port Alpha is being designed to build autonomous, autonomy-capable and manned vessels. Saronic said the project could eventually support up to 10,000 direct jobs.At opening, the yard is planned to provide 150…

Integrated Wind Solutions (IWS) subsidiary IWS Fleet has ordered four Skywalker-class commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) for a combined firm yard price of around $301 million (€260 million), expanding its owned fleet from six to 10 CSOVs.The four vessels, priced at around $75 million (€65 million) each, will be built by Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment and delivered in 2029 and 2030 under fixed-price turnkey contracts.IWS Fleet has also secured options for another four vessels at the same firm prices…

US President Donald Trump unveiled plans on Wednesday for South Korea to invest some $200 billion in US projects, but Seoul quickly suggested one key element, a $54 billion pipeline for an LNG project in Alaska, was not yet set in stone.The announcement from the White House amounted to the first set of major projects under a broader $350 billion strategic investment package South Korea made as part of a trade agreement with Washington last year. The package included $150 billion…

Ashtead Technology, a provider of integrated subsea technology solutions to the global offshore energy sector, announced the appointment of Alison Hazell as Chief Marketing Officer.With global responsibility for the company’s marketing and communications functions, Alison will support the delivery of Ashtead Technology’s growth strategy, strengthening their marketing position and enhancing engagement with customers, employees, investors and key stakeholders worldwide.Alison brings experience in brand strategy, corporate communications, investor engagement and organisational transformation.

Port of Albany-Rensselaer, NY CEO Richard J. Hendrick was unanimously elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) at its Annual Convention in New Orleans. AAPA represents more than 130 public port authorities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.This is the first time in more than 40 years that the AAPA Chairman has been elected from the North Atlantic Region. Hendrick will serve a two-year term in this role. Previously, he served the AAPA Board as Vice Chairman and as the representative of the North Atlantic Region.

Louisiana-based boatbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded a U.S. Government contract to build 13 patrol boats for Vietnam, with options for additional vessels.The contract expands Metal Shark's presence in Asia and builds on the company's successful delivery of 24 purpose-built 45 Defiant military patrol boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard between 2017 and 2020. The 45-foot welded-aluminum vessels enhanced Vietnam's maritime security and law-enforcement capabilities while supporting…

Russia has warned NATO it would be ready to resort to nuclear weapons if the Western alliance attempted to cut off Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave that borders the Baltic Sea.In a document sent to NATO and seen by Reuters, Moscow accused the alliance of a "dangerous and reckless course" that entailed "high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict".The document said this included the possibility of "Russian strikes against decision-making centers in the alliance's member…

Construction begins on Wednesday of a $16 billion Kenyan oil refinery aimed at lowering East Africa's fuel costs and saving the region hard currency used to import refined products.Aliko Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto broke ground on the site, where the billionaire wants to replicate his group's 700,000-barrel-per-day Nigerian refinery as countries including Kenya and Uganda look to start producing crude oil.Dangote, Africa's richest man, has offered regional governments a combined 30% stake in the Kenyan refinery…

President Donald Trump will announce on Wednesday plans for South Korea to invest $200 billion in US projects, including $54 billion to build the long-planned Alaska liquefied natural gas project, a White House official said.The announcement will detail the first major projects under a broader $350 billion strategic investment package South Korea made as part of a trade agreement with Washington last year. The $350 billion package includes $150 billion for shipbuilding and $200…

C&C Marine and Repair delivered M/V Capt. Pete Ciaramitaro, a 2,600-horsepower inland towboat, to Southern Devall. The vessel is the first delivery from C&C Marine’s six-vessel spec towboat program and was delivered just over two months after the contract was signed on July 20, 2026. The five remaining vessels are available, with deliveries scheduled to begin in November and continue at approximately two-month intervals.“We value the opportunity to work with Southern Devall and are pleased to deliver the Capt. Pete Ciaramitaro,” said Tony Cibilich, owner and president of C&C Marine and Repair.

Marsa Maroc has selected a Liebherr LPS 550 portal slewing crane for bulk cargo operations at the Port of Casablanca, marking the first deployment of Liebherr's LPS crane series in Africa.The rail-mounted crane, which is set to enter service at the Moroccan port, features an electric drive and a 48-metre boom. Its portal design allows cargo operations while preserving space along the quay.The order expands Marsa Maroc's fleet of Liebherr equipment following the delivery of three…

"During the first three quarters of 2026, US dry bulk shipments to China have grown 104% y/y, driven by a 176% y/y increase in the shipment of grains. Volumes between the two countries weakened in 2025 amid rising trade tensions and higher tariffs. However, an agreement reached in November 2025 lowered tariffs on US grains and set import targets for US soya beans, allowing shipments to partly recover in 2026,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.US coal and petcoke shipments to China have also strengthened so far this year, with coal up 44% y/y and petcoke up 33% y/y.

Somali pirates killed five crew members of the hijacked MT Honour 25 petroleum products tanker before it was rescued by security forces, Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland said on Tuesday.Puntland's authorities said they also rescued a second vessel on Tuesday that had been hijacked in May.The deaths aboard the Palau-flagged ship appear to be the first at the hands of Somali pirates in over a decade.The ship with 17 crew members was seized by pirates in April during a resurgence of Somali piracy that experts have attributed…

The American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA) Board of Directors announces the election of David Finn of J.A. Moody and Terry Nawara of Marotta Controls to the Board, adding two U.S. Navy veterans and experienced maritime industry leaders to the organization's leadership.Nawara succeeds Bill Dimas, who represented one of ASSA's early member companies, Marotta Controls. Finn joins the board following a decade of increasing leadership within the maritime community.Nawara currently serves as Director of Business Development…

Oil prices declined on Tuesday as investors focused on signs of recovering crude exports from the Middle East and lingering concerns over potential supply disruptions in the region stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran.Brent crude futures were down $1.96, or 1.86%, to $103.32 a barrel at 1306 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $90.65, down $1.95, or 2.11%.Brent and WTI are headed for monthly gains of around 14% and 5.6%, respectively."A clearer picture is emerging of higher oil export volumes leaving the Gulf…

Saudi Arabia has resumed oil tanker loadings from its Red Sea port of Yanbu after restarting operations on the East-West Pipeline, according to trade sources and shipping data, improving the outlook for oil exports from the Middle East.The resumption of Yanbu loadings, halted earlier this month after a drone attack on the pipeline, weighed on global oil prices on Monday as it added to signs of increased flows from the Middle East, from which the US war with Iran has throttled…

The Metals Company said on Tuesday it has appointed former ExxonMobil upstream chief Liam Mallon to its board as the company advances plans to begin commercial recovery of polymetallic nodules in international waters under a U.S. seabed mining framework.Here are a few detailsThe move comes as the Trump administration signaled it is nearing approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost U.S. access to the critical minerals used across much of the country's…

Security forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland state have rescued the MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged petroleum products tanker seized by pirates in April, Puntland's state television channel reported on Tuesday.The broadcaster said pirates who had been holding the vessel had been detained and would be brought to court.Puntland officials did not respond to requests for comment.The MT Honour 25 was seized on April 21 around 30 nautical miles off Puntland's coast with 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.The rescue follows a similar Puntland counter-piracy operation last week

“Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership For Turbulent Times” by Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Rear Admiral, US Navy (ret) is much more than a standard leadership tome, far less than a tell-all political expose, rather a common sense approach on leadership and life as told by the man who lives and works with empathy, humility and servant leadership. RAdm Gallaudet recounts his long and storied career, as well as the tumult serving as a presidential appointee under the first Trump Administration as a the leader of NOAA.