The United States is preparing to impose substantial fees on ships associated with China, aiming to revitalize its struggling domestic shipbuilding industry and counter China’s growing dominance in global maritime trade. A draft executive order proposes levying fees on vessels docking at U.S. ports if they are part of a fleet that includes Chinese-built... Read more »
Ocean shipping issues have been a major factor in the supply chain difficulties since the start of the pandemic. In 2021, US legislators proposed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) in an attempt to mitigate some of the problems plaguing the industry. Signed into law by President Biden in June 2022, the OSRA intends to... Read more »
Last week a 1,300-foot container ship became wedged in the Suez Canal in Egypt, causing massive disruption to the already squeezed global ocean shipping industry. More than 10% of world trade is said to pass through this canal, as it greatly shortens the route between continents. The blockage is estimated to have cost $10 billion... Read more »