The American maritime industry depends on policy that supports economic growth and investment and protects national security; however, recent policy decisions have too often relied on broad administrative actions and outdated assumptions rather than modern, data-driven approaches. The extension of the Jones Act waiver and the continued use of rigid seasonal dredging windows illustrate this trend. Though distinct issues, both carry significant consequences for maritime investment, operational efficiency, and the long-term strength of the maritime industry.
 
A Brief Discussion on the Jones Act Waiver

The Jones Act (Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act) of 1920 mandates that all vessels transporting goods between ports in the United States be built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, registered under the U.S. flag, and crewed by American mariners. This law has successfully protected the domestic maritime industry from foreign interference in our national and economic security. It supports national security interests by maintaining a reliable supply of trained mariners who are needed during national…

Iran’s publication of a new map asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz risks extending an already punishing ordeal for thousands of mariners trapped on ships in the Gulf.

More than 20,000 sailors are stuck on around 2,000 vessels in the Gulf, many of them unable to leave ship, lacking adequate supplies of food and fresh water, and fearful of an uncertain future at sea in a war zone.

Sailors interviewed by Reuters in recent weeks have described the hardships and anxieties of their experience, and a federation representing them warns of dire conditions.

“The only thing we do here is plan how to spend the night and pray to God that we do not get hit during an attack,” Indian sailor Salman Siddiqui said by phone from his stranded ship last month.

ISOLATED LIVES

When Reuters travelled on a resupply boat to vessels moored off the Saudi coast this week, sailors on a tanker gathered by the handrail to wave, a rare moment of contact with the outside world.

For nearly three months, the sailors trapped in the Gulf have led isolated lives, each with a small group of shipmates, moving between tiny living quarters, communal dining areas and scorching, sun-baked decks.

Tehran closed the strait, a global oil supply route, after U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced the launch of the sixth edition of its benchmark publication, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals). 

First published in 1971, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) is an industry reference for the safe operation of chemical tankers. This new edition provides up‑to‑date, practical guidance for those serving on board ships carrying hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk under MARPOL Annex II, supporting safe, compliant and pollution‑free operations.

The sixth edition incorporates substantial updates to reflect evolving industry practice, regulatory developments and the operational challenges faced by modern chemical tankers. Key new content includes:

• New guidance on Annex I to Annex II cargo changeover, featuring a detailed decision-making flowchart to support safe and efficient tank cleaning operations
• Updated enclosed space entry procedures, expanding on the latest International Maritime Organization (IMO) recommendations to improve crew safety and situational awareness
• Washing water analysis guidance, aimed at reducing unnecessary enclosed space entry 
• New recommendations on hot work hazardous zones, supporting more robust on board risk assessment
• Guidance on the safe use of shore…

The United States and French energy major TotalEnergies said on Monday they would redirect nearly $1 billion from offshore wind leases to U.S. oil and natural gas production.

The agreement marks a new strategy in the Trump administration’s wide-ranging effort to stymie development of U.S. offshore wind projects, which President Donald Trump has said he finds ugly, costly and inefficient.

His administration has moved to increase domestic fossil fuel production and scrap policies that support clean energy development.

“This agreement is yet another win for President Trump’s commitment to affordable and reliable energy for all Americans,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Offshore wind is one of the most expensive, unreliable, environmentally disruptive, and subsidy-dependent schemes ever forced on American ratepayers and taxpayers.”

The U.S. will reimburse Total around $1 billion that the company paid in lease purchases for offshore wind, and TotalEnergies has pledged not to develop any new offshore wind projects in the country, a U.S. Department of the Interior statement said.

An offshore wind trade group, Oceantic Network, criticized the administration for using taxpayer funds to block projects.

“This is political theater meant to…

“Average spot rates are down this week across all main fronthaul trades out of the Far East. From Far East to US West Coast and US East Coast, it is a textbook market development with falling spot rates coinciding with a slight uptick in offered capacity,” said Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst.

“It is a different story from Far East to North Europe where offered capacity has decreased week-on-week but spot rates continue to fall. This suggests an even weaker market on this trade.

“2026 is expected to be a year defined by overcapacity in container shipping, compounded by a largescale return of services to the Red Sea. Rising tensions between US and Iran could influence this situation, especially if it threatens Houthi militia resuming attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea

“Even if there is not a full escalation in conflict between US and Iran, the military posturing and rhetoric from political leaders can influence the security situation in the region and see carriers slow down plans to resume Red Sea transits. If so, this would delay a largescale return of container shipping to the Red Sea and ease the overcapacity headache for carriers deeper into 2026.”

Data highlights

Market average spot rates – February 19, 2026:

– Far East to US…

US Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders and the crew of the Horten Liberian-flagged tanker rescued a capsized rower in the Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico, Wednesday night.

Benoit Bourguet, 47, was in his single-man rowing vessel, City of Liverpool, which was reportedly struck by two rogue waves and capsized in 13 to 15-foot seas which forced Bourguet to deploy and board his life raft.

Bourguet and the City of Liverpool vessel were competing in the World’s Toughest Row Race, a 3,000-mile rowing race from San Sebastian de la Gomera, Spain, to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua. No other vessels in the race have been reported to be in distress.

The watchstanders received an unregistered 406 MHz Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon EPIRB signal from the City of Liverpool rowboat at approximately 2 a.m. Wednesday, alerting of a possible distress approximately 1,100 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico.  Afterwards, watchstanders received a second 406 MHz emergency distress signal from a personal locating beacon device from the same area. Watchstanders were able to contact World’s Toughest Row Race Safety Coordinator, who confirmed they had not been able to contact Bourguet after numerous messages had gone…

Venezuela’s ruling-party controlled National Assembly unanimously approved a law on Tuesday that allows prison sentences of up to 20 years for anyone who promotes or finances what it describes as piracy or blockades.

The law, which includes “other international crimes”, comes after recent U.S. actions against Venezuelan oil shipments.

The U.S. Coast Guard seized a sanctioned supertanker carrying Venezuelan crude earlier this month and attempted to intercept two other vessels linked to Venezuela over the weekend, U.S. officials said.

The interceptions mark Washington’s toughest blow to state oil company PDVSA since its Treasury Department sanctioned the oil company’s former trading partners, two subsidiaries of Russia’s Rosneft, in 2020, forcing it to cut production and exports. PDVSA was already under sanctions since 2019.

The draft “Law to Guarantee Freedom of Navigation and Commerce Against Piracy, Blockades, and Other International Illicit Acts” was introduced on Monday by pro-government lawmaker Giuseppe Alessandrello.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said at the end of the session the bill will be sent to the executive for approval and will take effect once published in the Official Gazette.

Washington has increased pressure on the…

Professor Momoko Kitada, Nippon Foundation Professorial Chair in Gender and Innovation; Head, Maritime Education & Training at the World Maritime University (WMU), has been selected to receive the 2025 IMO Gender Equality Award, following her nomination by Japan.  

The Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector.  

Kitada will receive the award in May 2026, alongside celebrations for the International Day for Women in Maritime (May 18).

Members of the assessment panel noted that her influence extended far beyond her role at WMU in Malmö, Sweden. She has inspired generations of students to carry forward the principles of gender equality into their own administrations and institutions.

The panel highlighted the global impact of her work, with her research, teaching and leadership of WMU’s gender and diversity initiatives translating into tangible change in many countries. Bridging academia, policy and practice, Professor Kitada’s quiet leadership style has achieved transformative results for both women and men in the sector, while maintaining a strong and authentic commitment to diversity.

Kitada is a former seafarer and was awarded a PhD…

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 region about the Trump administration’s intent.

The deployment marks a significant escalation amid heightened tensions with Venezuela, whose government Washington has long accused of harboring drug traffickers and undermining democratic institutions.

“The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X.

He did not specify when the carrier would be moving to the region, but as of a few days ago, the carrier was traveling via the Strait of Gibraltar and in Europe.

The Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is the United…