Mexico Seeks ID of Tanker Responsible for Oil Discharge as Cleanup Proceeds

Lamu Port’s Cargo Throughput Jumps by 900%, Buoyed by Shipping Disruption

Published Mar 22, 2026 8:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

With ocean carriers drawing up contingency plans for cargo destined to the Gulf region, some ports on the East African coast have gained a strategic advantage. As the Hormuz blockade persists, major shipping lines have informed customers on potential rerouting of goods, with the option of leaving containers at safer ports. One such facility is Kenya’s little-used port of Lamu, which has greatly benefitted from re-routing of cargo destined to the Gulf region. There is a rise in car carriers...

Little Change at Strait of Hormuz After Trump's 48-Hour Threat

Published Mar 22, 2026 5:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

President Donald Trump has given the Iranian government until Monday evening to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he has previously said that the U.S. does not need. If Iran does not reopen the strait, Trump said, the U.S. will "obliterate" Iran's electrical power plants. For its part, Iran claims that the strait is already open - for the right ships. A trickle of tonnage is getting past, according to tracking services, most of it using an Iranian-controlled lane past...

Analysis: Foreign-Flag Waiver Doesn't Put Jones Act Fleet at Risk

Published Mar 22, 2026 2:05 PM by Erik Broekhuizen / Poten & Partners

On March 18, 2026, the Trump administration announced the approval of a 60-day Jones Act waiver to allow foreign-flagged ship to move cargoes between U.S. ports. The Jones Act (official name: Merchant Marine Act of 1920), is a federal statute that requires the use of U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built, U.S.-owned (at least 75%) and U.S.-operated (at least 75% crewed by U.S. citizens) vessels to move any cargo between U.S. ports. The White House referenced the need to "ensure that U.S. airfields and...

Chouest Expands in the U.S. Gulf With Acquisition of Diving Company CEES

Published Mar 22, 2026 2:05 PM by Pat Zeitler

Champagne Energy and Environmental Solutions (CEES) has joined Edison Chouest Offshore. The acquisition, announced on March 19, will give Chouest Group the tools to provide turn-key offshore decommissioning services. CEES was founded by Robbie Champagne in 2008 as C-Dive LLC. Based out of Houma, Louisiana, Robbie leveraged his experience, industry contact sand his "sixth sense" for the business to accelerate his company’s growth during a time when diving hegemons like Caldive, Global Industrial Solutions LLC and Epic Divers and Marine...

Shipping

Securing the Strait: The Need to Reclaim the Disputed Islands

Predictably, given that their control over the Strait of Hormuz is their strongest negotiating card, the Iranian regime has ignored President Donald Trump's demand that they reopen the waterway to international traffic. President Trump says that constructive talks are now underway with Iran, something that Iran denies, although President Trump has followed up by suspending his threat to destroy Iran's power infrastructure. Any such attempt would no doubt in turn bring an Iranian response in kind, albeit with the power...

Tugs & Salvage

Video: MSC Container Ship Hits New Pier at Mundra Port

Last week, the container ship MSC Alexandra broke away from her moorings and hit a newly-built pier at a port in India, according to local media and bystander videos. On Thursday, MSC Alexandra was moored at Mundra Port's CT3 terminal. During a sudden thunderstorm, winds picked up and the ship's mooring lines parted under the strain. The boxship drifted across the harbor and allided bow-first with a pier that was under construction. Workers ran from the waterfront ahead of the...

Government

Little Change at Strait of Hormuz After Trump's 48-Hour Threat

Corporate News

Avondale Global Gateway Named Recipient of Louisiana FastSites Investment

Avondale Global Gateway (AGG), in partnership with JEDCO, announced it has been selected as an inaugural recipient of an investment through Louisiana Economic Development’s FastSites program, a statewide initiative that accelerates site readiness and positions Louisiana to compete for transformative industrial projects. AGG participated in the program’s official launch in Baton Rouge, where CEO Adam Anderson was invited to speak alongside state leaders, highlighting the site’s strategic importance to Louisiana’s economy. “Public investments that improve the readiness of maritime and...

Cruise Ships

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

China marked the next milestone in its efforts at expanding the domestic cruise industry with the float-out of its second large domestically built cruise ship. Built for China’s Adora Cruises, the ship will enter service this year, and the company reported it intends to order two more cruise ships and take an option for a third newbuild. The second cruise ship, named Adora Flower City, is an enlarged version of the first domestically built ship, which was based on a...

Ports

Ukraine Attacks Russia’s Baltic Oil Terminals and Starts Fire at Primorsk

Ukrainian and Russian officials are both acknowledging a large attack overnight from March 22 to March 23, focusing on Russia’s oil infrastructure on the Baltic. It comes after Ukraine protested the Trump administration’s waiver of Russian oil sanctions as Ukraine urged Europe to keep the pressure up on Russia. Operations at both the ports of Primorsky and Ust-Luga were reportedly suspended as the barrage unfolded. The governor for the Leningrad region, Alexander DroZdenko claimed that more than 70 aerial targets...

Shipping

Securing the Strait: The Need to Reclaim the Disputed Islands

Tugs & Salvage

Video: MSC Container Ship Hits New Pier at Mundra Port

Government

Little Change at Strait of Hormuz After Trump's 48-Hour Threat

Corporate News

Avondale Global Gateway Named Recipient of Louisiana FastSites Investment

Cruise Ships

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Ports

Ukraine Attacks Russia’s Baltic Oil Terminals and Starts Fire at Primorsk

Offshore

Chouest Expands in the U.S. Gulf With Acquisition of Diving Company CEES

Shipbuilding

Fincantieri Floats for Viking "First Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship"

Fincantieri marked another milestone in cruise ship development as it floated out the Viking Libra (54,300 gross tons), which is being billed as the “world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.” It advanced the ambitions for zero-emission shipping and the long-held vision of Viking CEO Torstein Hagen to produce a hydrogen-powered ship. According to the companies, the project has been developed with strong attention to environmental aspects to ensure the ship will be capable of navigating and operating with zero emissions, allowing...

Environment