Trump vetoes NDAA, but override looks likely President Donald Trump today vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021. He opened his veto message with this statement: "I am returning, without my approval, H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization
Trump pardons Duncan Hunter Once he was hailed as a "Champion of Maritime." Then, in March this year, former Chair of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Marine Transportation, Duncan Hunter was sentenced to 11
REM Offshore orders offshore wind CSV Fosnavåg, Norway, headquartered Rem Offshore AS has signed a contract for its first offshore wind market vessel. The 89.7 meter by 19.6 meter Construction Service Vessel has been ordered at Green Yard
New container-on-barge services links Brownsville and Tampa Bay Work Cat Trans Gulf LLC, a short sea shipping company with plans to introduce an innovative 400 foot catamaran capable of transporting 300 truckload equivalent shipments, is already offering a container-on-barge (COB)
Hapag-Lloyd places $1 billion order for six ultra large box ships Hamburg-headquartered Hapag-Lloyd has signed an order for six 23,500+ TEU container vessels with South Kiorea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Set for delivery between April and December 2023, the vessels represent a
Bollinger delivers second of six FRCs destined for Bahrain-based operations The USCGC Robert Goldman, delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla., December 21, by Bollinger Shipyards LLC, Lockport ,La., is the second of six Fast Response Cutters that are
Bauxite to drive dry bulk carrier demand in coming years Despite the pandemic the bauxite trade on the Guinea to China route has been strong this year, transhipment logistics provider...
Winter LNG traffic builds at Panama Canal Ships have also resorted to sailing to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope, adding to average tonne-mile and pushing...
Congress backs expansion of Houston ship channel 'The bottom line is an expanded channel that will positively impact the flow of goods in and out of our...
Port of New Orleans' investments pay off with new liner service The new service follows the port's efforts to boost its throughput via a $100m expansion project at the Napoleon Avenue Container...
Eagle Bulk raises $25m for bulker acquisitions Recent vessel purchases have helped lower the average age of Eagle Bulk's fleet and improved its emissions profile, while the...
International Group reports $1.8bn payouts for ships under pilotage Six-figure P&I liabilities incurred while vessels were under pilotage have topped $1.8bn in the last 20 years, according to new...
Grindrod signs sale and leaseback deal for MR tanker Grindrod Shipping also took delivery of a newbuilding ultramax bulker
Dry bulk asset sales rack up as Genco exits handysize space Among the deal-makers are Genco Shipping, which swapped out six old handysizes for newer ultramaxes, Diana Shipping, which sold a...
Epic acquires Lauritzen Kosan to form new gas carrier giant Oslo-listed Epic Gas has acquired J. Lauritzen's Lauritzen Kosan unit in an all-share deal that will create the world's largest...
Hapag-Lloyd orders six LNG-powered 23,500 teu containerships The German carrier will spend around $1bn for the six ultra-large boxships that will be built at Daewoo Shipbuilding &...
Daily Briefing Free to read: Seafarer abandonment cases at record high | Sri Lanka eases crew-change ban | France agrees limited reopening...
No Christmas cheer for bulkers stranded in China A number of ships stuck in China with Australian coal are being diverted to other countries including Japan, India and...
US-Russia fight over gas pipeline could mean more shipping sanctions The US is said to be readying even more sanctions as it tries to finish off the nearly-complete gas pipeline
Ridgebury takes suezmax pair from Diamond S in pre-Christmas shopping Private equity-backed owner looks set for asset play with its first ship purchases in 2020
Cruisers willing to sail despite Covid disaster: CLIA survey Three-quarters of cruise fans will sail in next few years, study showed
'Arms race:' industry details new cyber guidelines as attacks ramp up The revised document comes ahead of requirements cyber risk be included in key safety documents
Bouchard looks to the courts, hoping for key safety documents The company needs key safety documents to get its ATBs back on the water
Mercuria acquires vintage VLCC from Angelicoussis in rare deal Trading giant enters a 'new area' as Maran Tankers continue to shed old tonnage
Pilot-related accidents cost P&I clubs $1.8bn over 20 years The International Group of P&I Clubs has been counting the cost of pilot related accidents over the last two decades
Golar LNG completes FSRU conversion and sale to Croatian firm After the acceptance, Golar LNG secures approximately $47m in free cash
Wan Hai Lines launches raid on post-panamax boxship market Taiwanese shipowner dips into $360m fund to buy four vessels from shipowners Schulte and Eastern Pacific
South Korean yards score $3bn Mozambique LNG orders - but with conditions Four owners ink long-awaited contracts for 17 ships with two shipbuilders
Epic Gas merges with Lauritzen Kosan to create 77-ship LPG major Andreas Sohmen-Pao strikes again in gas arena with formation of BW Epic Kosan
BW LPG incident off Panama also involved Eneos ship Allision involved a gas carrier owned by the Japanese energy group Eneos Ocean
Abandoned Probulk ships scrapped as lenders weigh options Creditors of defunct Probulk Shipping & Trading may still take more action after Djibouti courts' unilateral move to sell off the Greek outfit's final vessels
Hapag-Lloyd inks $1bn order for six ultra-large container vessels German box line pens order with DSME for 23,500-teu dual fuel containerships
BW LPG ship's Panama collision involved market rival Collision involved a gas carrier owned by the Japanese energy group Eneos Ocean
Uncertain, unexpected and unprecedented: the 10 most shocking stories of 2020 TradeWinds staff look back at the most surprising ups and downs of a year like no other
Costa Cruises aims for zero-emission cruiseships as newbuilding is delivered Carnival Corp's Italian brand puts sustainability on the priority list for future newbuildings
Ten things shipping learned to do in 2020 But will the industry still be doing them in 2021?
Maran Gas linked to $368m LNG carrier order at Samsung Heavy Sources say Greek shipowner may have exercised options for pair of 174,000-cbm newbuildings
Keppel O&M wraps up US legal obligations in Petrobras corruption case Singaporean shipyard group claims lessons have been learned and compliance has been tightened up
Trump pardons former congressman and maritime advocate Now-pardoned California Republican Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds.
US hires cargo airline for international transport of vaccine supplies Many transport providers besides FedEx and UPS are performing roles in the COVID vaccine distribution. Not everyone is moving vaccines. Find out what Air Transport...
Port of Houston lands new direct Asia service Port Houston will be the first U.S. port of call in THE Alliance's new direct Asia service. The trans-Pacific EC6 service will begin in Kaohsiung,...
Fake Viagra and Air Jordans seized at California ports More than $32 million worth of fake Viagra pills, knockoff Air Jordans and other counterfeit products were found in shipments arriving from China, authorities said.
US takes extra measures to secure COVID vaccine shipments Coronavirus vaccines require extreme levels of protection from organized crime organizations, nation states and others looking to steal shipments or valuable data. The U.S. government...
Commentary: Adding COVID-19 vaccines to the holiday rush With vaccines in tow, the transportation industry will deliver a lot of much-needed holiday cheer over the next few weeks.
US DATA: EIA says Midwest ULSD stocks draw to over three-year low Ultra low sulfur diesel stocks in the Midwest drew to an over three-year low during the week ended Dec. 18, US Energy Information Administration data showed Dec. 23.
Japan's ENEOS raises weekly wholesale oil product prices by Yen 500/kiloliter: sources Japan's largest refiner ENEOS has raised the weekly domestic wholesale base prices of its five major rack petroleum products by Yen 500/kiloliter (77 cents/b), marking a fourth consecutive weekly increase, market sources told S&P Global Platts Dec. 23.
US DATA: EIA says crude exports rise to three-week high of 3.1 million b/d US crude oil exports rose 472,000 b/d to reach about the year-to-date average of 3.1 million b/d for the week ended Dec. 18, weekly Energy Information Administration data showed Dec. 23.
FEATURE: East Mediterranean gas progress in 2021 needs innovative politics 2020 was supposed to be the year that the Cypriot energy sector finally got down to business.
OIL FUTURES: Crude falls on stock build, US stimulus flip-flop 0523 GMT: Crude oil futures were lower during afternoon trade in Asia Dec. 23, as the market reacted negatively to news of a stock build, with an apparent flip-flop on US stimulus measures further adding to the bearish sentiment.
FEATURE: Lower Permian gas production, higher prices promise shift in 2021 flows A steep drop in Permian gas production this year is driving a significant shift in regional flow dynamics that's likely to endure into 2021 as higher West Texas gas prices cut supply flowing to the Midcontinent and San Juan markets.
Recovering middle distillate margins to put pressure on Asian gasoline: sources The recent recovery in Asian middle distillate margins is expected to inject headwinds onto the Asian gasoline market, as fresh supply of gasoline appears amid rising run rates in several refineries in the region, industry sources told S&P Global Platts during the week starting Dec. 20.
Risks loom for Mexico's refined products market as country faces second lockdown An increase in coronavirus cases in Mexico's capital could lead to another national lockdown in 2021, dragging down demand for refined products.
FEATURE: European marine fuel hopes for calmer waters after rocky 2020 The European marine fuel market is hoping for calmer waters in 2021, with market sources anticipating a stronger year ahead as the rollout of coronavirus vaccine programs allow global activity to recover.
FEATURE: Global oil supply set for shake-up in 2021 as crude, refining squeeze resumes Global oil demand is expected to rebound from the nadir of COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021 but the expected surge of Middle Eastern crudes and robust biofuel growth has implications for the global crude slate and refiners alike.
UK utility SSE to sell gas E&P assets to Viaro Energy on emissions push UK power generator SSE has agreed to sell its portfolio of UK gas exploration and production assets to Viaro Energy for GBP120 million ($161 million) as it looks to focus on its net-zero emissions ambitions.
OIL FUTURES: Complex rallies on inventory draws, pending Brexit deal Crude and refined products futures rallied midday Dec. 23 after the US Energy Information Administration reported draws in petroleum inventories, and on US dollar weakness following news of a possible Brexit deal.
OIL FUTURES: Complex settles higher on dollar weakness, stock draws Petroleum futures settled higher Dec. 23 on US dollar weakness following news of a possible post-Brexit deal, and on inventory draws reported by the US Energy Information Administration.
Ghana's Jubilee crude Feb loadings unchanged on month at 1.9 million barrels Ghana's flagship Jubilee crude will see two 950,000-barrel cargoes load in February totaling 1.9 million barrels, the same as in January, according to a copy of the program seen by S&P Global Platts Dec. 23.
Hapag-Lloyd orders six dual LNG-powered container vessels **Future regulatory and market environment unclear **LNG-powered fleet may reach 8,000 by 2030 from current 556
Eni, Snam, CDP sign deal to decarbonize Italy's energy system **Italian companies join forces to drive energy transition **Group to combine technical, industrial, finance skills **Companies eye production of hydrogen, CCS
Dec-loading Europe-to-Asia naphtha arbitrage volumes rise to 1.675 mil mt **Higher than 1.552 million mt for November **Tighter naphtha slows chartering for Jan arb
EC gives funding to first LNG bunker barge at Algeciras **Enagas, Port of Algeciras are project partners **Global LNG bunkering may grow to 30 mil mt by 2030
JAPAN DATA: Dec 13-19 oil product output rises 4.2% on week Japan's oil products output rose 4.2% week on week to 18.29 million barrels in the week of Dec. 13-19, the Petroleum Association of Japan said Dec. 23.
FEATURE: Iran pushes for a 2021 oil comeback, but sanctions will be hard to shake **Budget targets 2.3 million b/d in oil sales **Politics could complicate sanctions talks **Rouhani pressed to clinch deal before election
TENDER DATA: Thailand's PTTGC changes IMO-compliant fuel oil loading date The company previously offered the same amount of IMO 2020-compliant fuel oil for loading over Jan. 28-30, with a closing date of Dec. 22, but it changed the loading date to Jan. 16-18, and the closing date to Dec. 23, after consideration of the shipment schedule of other cargoes, a company source said.
REFINERY NEWS ROUNDUP: S Africa's product imports to rise, Algeria cuts fuel imports South Africa, a net importer of transport fuels, will see its intake of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel rise in the near term, with around half of the nation's crude refining capacity expected to stay shut at least until early 2021, industry sources told S&P Global Platts.
FUJAIRAH DATA: Oil product inventory drops 4%, led by middle distillates **Middle distillate stocks fall 9.5% on week **More jet fuel cargoes heading to Asia **Light distillate stocks drop 2.8% on week
China share of container shipping market for Christmas lights falls in wake of US trade tensions: BIMCO **US-China trade tensions affect market shares **Overall container imports have decreased
JAPAN DATA: Dec 13-19 crude run rates extend uptick, edging higher on week to 81%
INDIA DATA: Nov crude imports up 19.8% on month at 4.47 mil b/d India imported 18.28 million mt of crude, or an average 4.47 million b/d, in November, up 19.8% from October, showed latest provisional data from the country's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, or PPAC, published on Dec. 22.
FEATURE: Slow recovery, sporadic rallies to be hallmarks for tankers in 2021 **China's 440,000 b/d new demand may spur freight rates **Demolition activity may pick up **Controlling virus will pent up oil demand
FEATURE: Japan to enter new era of hydrogen in 2021 with launch of liquefied transport **Liquefied hydrogen will be transported over 9,000 km **2021 will be 'first year of golden age of hydrogen,' says Tanaka **Lowering hydrogen costs remain key issue
CHINA DATA: Dec crude throughput falls as refiners cut monthly run rate to 78% **PetroChina lowers run rates due to Yunnan maintenance **Sinopec refineries' operating rates mostly steady **ZPC's third CDU still on trial runs
INDIA DATA: Gasoline exports rebound 12% in November as key buyers return Gasoline exports from India rebounded from more than a nine-year low in November, with the return of key buyers in Australia, Africa and the Middle East spurring Indian refiners to look outward for export opportunities.
INDIA DATA: Nov gasoil exports slump 31% to 22-month low India's gasoil exports extended declines for the third straight month, falling 31.4% from the year ago period in November as an increase in domestic consumption has reduced the volume of gasoil available for export.
INDIA DATA: Nov LPG imports ease 2% on month as demand retreats
INDIA DATA: Nov jet fuel exports rise 55% on month as refiners lift run rates **November jet fuel exports at 6-month high **Domestic jet fuel/kerosene demand down 100,000 b/d on year: Platts Analytics
INDIA DATA: November naphtha exports rise 55.8% on month to 411,855 mt India's naphtha exports in November rose 55.84% on the month as refinery operations picked up, with imports remaining stable, latest data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, or PPAC showed.
TENDER DATA: Sri Lanka's Lanka IOC buys marine fuel 0.5%S H1 Jan Lanka IOC occasionally seeks marine fuel 0.5% sulfur from the spot market via tender to meet bunker demand at Trincomalee.
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