Transport Infrastructure

Mark Carney, the Prime Minister, said that Canada would not share toll revenue with the United States until Canada had recovered its initial investment. The delay in opening the Gordie-Howe bridge, which was paid for by Canada has caused tensions between the United States, and Canada. This is at a time when the two countries are trying to update their trade agreement. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said last week that he had negotiated "a better deal" with Canada to enable the U.S. bridge's July 27 opening. Carney was criticized by political opponents for caving in to the U.S., after...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration denied a petition filed by Tesla on?Thursday to avoid a recall for almost 20,000 vehicles that have headlights which may exceed the maximum lighting levels. Tesla said the issue did not have any impact on motor vehicle safety, and therefore there was no need for a recall. NHTSA disagreed with Tesla that there was no "increased risk" of glare to surrounding traffic or drivers of the vehicle. NHTSA?said that the recall covered about 19,900 Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y models from 2017-2023. Tesla did not respond immediately to a request for comment....

India's Customs Authorities have joined the Health Ministry in a fight against Adani Group for the sale of nicotine sachets at airports. They claim that duty-free shops are only tax-advantageous and not immune to other regulations. The sale of nicotine pouches in duty-free shops at the Mumbai airport owned by billionaire Gautam Adani was found to be illegal during a March inspection. His company is now appealing this decision at the Mumbai High Court. The customs department stated that the concept of "goods being outside customs borders" for taxation reasons "doesn't grant immunity from regulatory control," in a document submitted...

The U.S. aviation sector asked Congress to allocate $20 billion on Wednesday to complete a massive project to modernize America’s aging air traffic control system and reduce systemic flight disruptions. A coalition of aviation companies, including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, airports and unions, said that $20 billion was needed to upgrade or replace hundreds of old air traffic control systems, to deploy the latest technologies for controllers, and to develop advanced tools to manage airspace traffic to improve safety. The Congress allocated $12.5 billion for the project of replacing outdated technology and increasing staffing in air traffic control towers. The new...

According to a memo obtained by the media, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem will be taking over as the new CEO of?Malaysian company MMC Port Holdings. The group chief executive is leaving his post immediately. Emirati bin Sulayem is now the executive chairman of MMC. He resigned in February from Dubai's DP World after the Department of Justice released emails between Jeffrey Epstein and the company. Bin Sulayem did not comment publicly on the emails he exchanged with Epstein who died in prison in 2019 while waiting to be tried for'sex trafficking' charges. Bin Sulayem was not immediately available. The MMC...

The?U.N. The 'U.N. Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that the process would start immediately. He did not elaborate. A spokesperson for the United Nations said, "We're aware of this post and are awaiting more details." International Maritime Organization. "We've always maintained a consistent stance against fees - IMO is opposed to charging fees for the passage through straits that are used for international navigation." There is "no legal basis" to introduce tolls for transiting through a strait. Officials from the shipping industry expressed their concern at?the newest development. They added that, in their opinion, such a move...

Drones are cheap, mass-produced and have revolutionized modern warfare. They expose critical energy infrastructures as the Achilles heel of modern economies. Unmanned aircraft are able to evade air defences on the battlefields in Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East. This makes oil refineries and power stations as well as export terminals and pipelines prime targets. The energy industry is affected by the implications. Swarms of drones, which cost a few hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars each, can threaten facilities that have taken decades and billions to build. This will dramatically shift the balance of power between attackers and...

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday that it would extend 10% flight reductions?for an additional year at Chicago O'Hare in order to avoid delays and?address congestion concerns at the busy United Airlines/American Airlines hub. In April, the agency announced that it would limit O'Hare's arrivals and departing flights to 2,708 per day between May 17 and October 24. This forced both major airlines to'scale back' their plans and maintain operations at last year's level to avoid a'repeat' of widespread delays. The FAA announced Friday that the restrictions would now continue until "the end of 2027". The airlines had planned...

Palm Beach Airport in Florida was officially renamed after Donald Trump on Thursday. It is the latest of a number of institutions, buildings and government programs to adopt the Republican identity. The renaming 'Palm Beach International Airport' to President Donald J. Trump International Airport is a public nod to the Republican Leaders support for his adopted state, Florida, which houses his lavish Mar-a-Lago Resort. Eric Trump, Trump's son, said in an interview with Fox News that "I don’t think there's anyone more synonymous with Palm Beach as Donald Trump" in Florida. Since Trump was elected to a second term in...

Palm Beach Airport in Florida renamed after President Donald Trump, the latest of a number of institutions, government programs and warships that have adopted the Republican identity. The renaming of Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport is a public nod to the Republican Leader's popularity in Florida, where his lavish Mar-a-Lago Resort is located. Eric Trump, Trump's son, said in an exclusive interview with Fox News that "I don't believe there's anyone more synonymous with Palm Beach in Florida than Donald Trump." Since Trump?took over the White House for a second term last year, his...

According to data and reliable sources, oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz?was at a standstill Thursday as the shipping risks increased after the U.S. Airstrikes were renewed on Iran, prompting retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf. In the early morning hours of Thursday, only two tankers have so far sailed through the Strait. According to Kpler, they included the crude supertanker Berg 1 which was loaded on Iran's Kharg Island. It is also subject to U.S. sanction. Kpler analysis revealed that the chemical tanker Well Sail with Marshall Islands flag also traversed this strait. According to LSEG tracking...

The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States said that companies offering self-driving cars must address a "clear trend" of driverless cars interfering with first responders and law enforcement. Jonathan Morrison, the head of the U.S. Vehicle Regulatory Agency, wrote in a letter addressed to the industry, that NHTSA had documented numerous instances where AVs drove into emergency scenes and other incidents, when they "blocked ambulances and firefighter's paths, or failed to recognize basic safety conditions such as flashing lights and flares, smoke and?fire and traffic cones." In a letter to the industry, Jonathan Morrison,...

Iraq temporarily suspended oil loadings at its Basra terminal on Thursday before they were resumed, according to four Iraqi sources in the oil and security industries. Sources added that the drone was not damaged or set ablaze and that it wasn't immediately apparent who launched it. The head of Iraq's state-owned oil marketing company SOMO said that the incident did not involve a direct assault on terminals or vessels. It is not targeting Basra Oil Terminal. It is not targeting Basra Oil Terminal. Ali Nazar stated that loading is done at the normal rate, depending on vessel availability. A spokesperson...

The race to secure vital minerals has created a wealth of opportunity for countries that have the fortune of having the right metal deposits. The goal is to extract as much value as you can from the metals in the earth. The obvious answer is processing. Smelters that convert ore to metal are not only more valuable, but also provide a path to greater industrial and economic growth. It's a way for Western policymakers to loosen China's grip over midstream capacity in a large part of the critical metals spectrum. According to a joint study by the consultancy CRU, and...

Data and industry sources indicate that daily crude loadings in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Port of Yanbu are close to their maximum levels as tensions with Yemen's Houthi militants intensify. The kingdom also seeks to maximize oil exports. Since the U.S. - Israel conflict with Iran began February 28, Saudi?Aramco has increased its use of the Yanbu Terminal. Sources have said that Saudi Arabia also considers expanding its capacity of the oil pipeline to the western Red Sea Coast, which would enable the kingdom and?possibly?neighbours to transport more crude oil without having to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Aramco didn't...

Shipping data revealed that the number of tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz dropped to its lowest level in two months in the last day, after renewed strikes between Iran and the U.S.?and attacks against vessels raised safety concerns. Shipping industry sources say that vessels are increasingly turning off their public AIS?transponders. This makes it difficult to count the total number of ships on the waterway. According to Kpler's analysis, based on the data available, oil and gas tanker traffic has fallen to its lowest levels since May 25. In a recent report, ship broker Gibson stated that the world...

The U.N. Shipping Agency's governing board agreed that countries should reject Iran's efforts to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran's unilateral decision to create an agency to control traffic in the waterway. This week, the U.S. and Iran engaged in hostilities, which included U.S. airstrikes triggered by Washington's accusation that Tehran was responsible for attacks on ships. The attacks have renewed concerns over the recovery of oil supplies and shipping worldwide, and they have highlighted the fragility in an interim truce that was supposed to end a conflict lasting more than four months while the U.S. negotiated...

Iran has started talks with Japanese firms under a U.S. sanction waiver that allows?it resume oil sales. However, prospective buyers are?seeking longer waivers and reassurances regarding ship safety. The waiver was part of the 60-day talks between Washington and Tehran, and it expires on August 21. Two Iranian sources declined to identify themselves due to the sensitive nature of the matter. They said that three Japanese buyers are considering possible crude oil purchases in Iran. This would be their first purchase since 2019. A Western industry source with knowledge of the situation said that Japanese and Iranian officials were initially...

Authorities in St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and the surrounding Leningrad area said on Saturday that a major Ukrainian drone strike overnight had hit a local oil pipeline and port. Alexander Beglov, the Governor of St Petersburg, said that the city with a population of 6,000,000 had been subjected to a "large scale" drone attack. The city's oil storage terminal was also hit. He stated that there were no injuries and the aftermath had been handled. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, said that drones struck the port of Vysotsk on the Gulf of Finland. The port is...

The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates ended higher on Friday, following gains in global equities. A lukewarm U.S. employment report dampened expectations for a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate hike. The STOXX pan-European Index rose?0.2% while MSCI's broadest measure of global equity edged up by 0.1%. As more people left the workforce, the U.S. unemployment rates fell from 4.3% to 4.2% in May. Soft jobs data decreased expectations of an impending Fed rate hike and increased betting that rates will remain on hold until October. Changes in U.S. currency policy can have a major impact on Gulf markets,...

A top U.N. official announced on Friday that the United Nations was working with countries to resume the evacuating of hundreds of vessels and thousands of stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz, after this effort had been halted earlier in the week. The U.N. International Maritime Organization announced on Thursday that it had "temporarily paused' its evacuation initiative following the attack on a container vessel operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said that 115 ships and around 2,500 seafarers were able to navigate through the strait, before evacuations ceased. Dominguez stated that he is working "vigilantly",...

The U.S. and Israel war against Iran is causing financial stress for companies in Australia and New Zealand. Higher fuel prices are stoking inflation, reducing consumer and business confidence and weighing on corporate earnings. Some of the companies in Australia and New Zealand have made an impact. Air New Zealand: New Zealand’s flag carrier predicted its largest annual pre-tax losses in four years. This was two months after withdrawing their earlier 2026 forecast, as the Iran War pushed up jet oil prices, increasing costs, and compounding the pressure of weak demand and fleet restrictions. Air New Zealand has forecast a...

In a London court document, the Baltic Exchange defended the flagship oil 'tanker benchmark' saying that it accurately reflected the market conditions during the U.S. - Israel conflict with Iran, despite the?disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. The benchmark is used to 'price and settle billions in freight trades around the world. Its reliability is at issue with Mercuria, one of the largest commodity traders in the world, who claims it has mispriced market. Mercuria filed a court document on April 30 stating that it was suing the Baltic Exchange for losses caused by incorrect pricing data. The company claimed...

The major Gulf stock exchanges rose in the early trading on Wednesday, amid signs of progress in U.S.Iran negotiations. However, there was still uncertainty about?the durability? of the agreement. The two countries that concluded the first round of negotiations on Monday in Switzerland gave contradictory accounts of some key elements of the Framework Agreement signed last week for the end of the war. These included financial incentives to Iran, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel's war in Lebanon. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Iran agreed to nuclear inspections in "infinity" on Tuesday. Tehran denied this concession...