Shipping Waiver Subsidizes Beijing’s Fleet and Weakens Shipyards

By Michael D. Purzycki. June 23, 2026 On March 18, less than three weeks into the conflict with Iran, President Trump signed a waiver of the Jones Act. Originally meant to last 60 days, it was later extended an additional 90 days. While this waiver was officially intended to lower gasoline prices that rose when […]

Jones Act Waiver Has Proven Why Repeal Is the Wrong Answer

By Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. For years, critics of the Jones Act have made the same promises: repeal the law, allow foreign vessels into domestic trade, and American consumers will see lower prices and stronger supply chains. Now the real-world test case is underway, and it is failing to make a […]

Gas Prices and the Jones Act: A Market Reality Check

The Alaskan Frontier is a American-built Suezmax tanker capable of shipping approximately 1.3 million barrels of oil. (Image Credit: OSG).

By Sam Norton, CEO of Overseas Shipholding Group. Gasoline prices in the US are on the rise and the Trump Administration is “looking at all options” to reverse this inconvenient collateral effect of war in the Middle East. A reflexive impulse of those seeking easy answers to a complicated problem is to boldly suggest that […]

Automation Serves as a Workforce Multiplier for Maritime

"Automation isn’t just a response to labor challenges; it’s a catalyst for growth across the entire supply chain, helping people work smarter and safer as global trade accelerates. The maritime industry has the opportunity not just to keep up when it comes to automating, but to lead." - Brooklyn Kiso. (Image Credit: Formic).

By Brooklyn Kiosow, Marketing Communications Manager at Formic. Across the U.S., manufacturers are racing to meet growing demand for products. But with too few people to fill critical production roles, many are turning to temporary labor, overtime, and outsourcing just to keep up. On the production floor, employees are feeling the physical toll: lifting, stacking, […]

Jennifer Carpenter: America First Requires the Jones Act

By Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. It comes as no surprise that President Donald Trump is building a legacy as a consequential maritime president. After all, there are few areas of our economy that are more America First than the U.S. maritime industry. We have been a maritime nation since our founding, […]

VOGEL: Want More Ships? Fix How Washington Builds Them

By Jeff Vogel, TOTE Services. President Donald Trump’s call for new investment in U.S. shipbuilding comes at a pivotal moment. From icebreakers to training ships, America faces rising demand for vessels even as foreign competitors pour billions into their own yards. But there has been significant concern about how America can keep up. Government shipbuilding programs have fallen behind due […]

Great Lakes Icebreaker Gap Threatens American Maritime Dominance

By James Weakley, Lake Carriers’ Association. When Americans think of our coastlines, most picture the beaches of the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Gulf. But the Great Lakes are America’s fourth coast — a 2,300-mile expanse reaching deep into the nation’s industrial heartland. Each year, this system moves more than 135 million tons of cargo worth over […]

Remembering World War II’s End, 80 Years Later

Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signs the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Government, on board USS Missouri (BB-63), 2 September 1945. Lieutentant General Richard K. Sutherland, U.S. Army, watches from the opposite side of the table. Foreign Ministry representative Toshikazu Kase is assisting Mr. Shigemitsu. Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

By Vice Admiral J.A. Baldwin U.S. Navy (Ret.). Sept. 2, 2025, marks 80 years since Imperial Japan’s formal surrender aboard US MISSOURI (BB 63), ending the Second World War. That ceremony in Tokyo Bay was the end of a global struggle that claimed more than 70 million lives and reshaped the modern world. It also […]

Constructing a Giant: The Journey of the FREDERICK PAUP

The snapshot of the project team aboard the FREDERICK PAUP. Photo credit: FREDERICK PAUP Project Team

By J.Anthony Tedpahogo. From the first concept on paper to a fully operational machine, Manson Project Manager Jordan Brown reflects on the collective effort it took to bring America’s largest self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredge, the FREDERICK PAUP, to life. The journey spanned over a decade starting with pre-planning by Vice President and Gulf & […]