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US revises Jones Act compliance rules and extends waiver of 90-day Jones Act.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security approved a second 90-day extension to a Jones Act waiver originally issued on March 17, 2026. This will allow certain cargoes covered by the Jones Act to continue moving between U.S. port on foreign flagged vessels under specified conditions. The waiver will begin on August 17, 2026 at 12 a.m. The CBP guidance stated that the waiver will begin on August 17, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. ET. CBP stated that any product covered must be loaded onto a vessel by 11:59 pm ET on November 15, 2026. ET, November 15, 2026. The agency also released a list of updated potentially covered products on August 17. CBP stated that "this?guidance serves as a notice of significant changes to the waiver requests process." Before a voyage starts, parties wishing to use a vessel flying a foreign flag under the waiver must submit a "vessel availabilty request" to the Department of War(DOW), Maritime Administration(MARAD) and CBP. CBP stated that the request must include information such as the vessel owner, the date of the voyage, the ports of loading and discharging, the cargo description, the frequency of shipment, the identity of the vessel, etc. MARAD will conduct a survey to determine if a U.S. vessel with coastwise qualifications is available for the transport. DOW will then decide if the waiver is applicable to the proposed trip based on the survey results. CBP said that the trade?community member initiating the request would contact the appropriate carriers to arrange transport. Carriers who operate foreign-flagged ships under the waiver must submit voyage information to CBP, and MARAD post-voyage report within 10 days after the completion of the voyage. This includes cargo details and the justification for waiver.
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Bird remains found on 737 engine after Ryanair Greek incident
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported on Thursday that bird remains were discovered in the 'engine' of a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG where a 'passenger' was partially sucked out through a broken window in July. The NTSB investigates the incident in which a piece from the engine of the plane broke and smashed a window. The plane was headed for Germany when it lost pressure, forcing the pilot to land in an emergency. In its preliminary report on the July 10 incident, the NTSB stated that there were four suspected bird strikes against the No. 2 engine of the aircraft. The flight crew reported that the No. 2 engine was damaged in the year before the accident. It was reported that "bird remains" were found in two?cases, although there was no damage discovered during the subsequent maintenance. The NTSB said that the CFM engine, made by a joint venture between France’s Safran and U.S. based General Electric, had been inspected?in May without any findings. Boeing and Ryanair declined comment on Thursday. GE and Safran did not respond to requests for comment. The NTSB is an independent U.S. agency that investigates accidents in civil aviation. It is leading the investigation of the Ryanair flight. The agency is still examining whether this incident is similar to others, such as the April 2018 engine failure that killed a passenger on a U.S.?Southwest?Airlines flight whose partial sucked-out window was fatal. The report stated that "the investigative team was aware of prior... events with similar engine models which resulted in damage engine?inlets, cowlings or fuselage structures." The investigation is still ongoing to determine if there are any similarities or details that can be drawn between this accident and other events. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in an interview: "I don't think the early indications are that (the recent Ryanair problem) mimics what the Southwest incident was." In an interview, Bryan Bedford said: "I do not think that the Ryanair incident is similar to the Southwest incident." (Reporting from David Shepardson, Washington; Allison Lampert, Montreal; editing by Matthew Lewis).
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Source: Ukraine offers Russia a truce on the Black Sea in response to growing food shortage fears
Source: Ukraine has sent Russia a proposal suggesting that 'both parties' halt their attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea. The strikes on ships and ports have raised concerns about global food supplies. Source familiar with the issue said that Kyiv had sent the offer of suspension via a third-party, but Ukraine is still waiting for the response. Both Russia and Ukraine, two major players on the world agricultural market, have accused one another of intensifying attacks on vessels used to export. EU WHEAT PARE GAINS AFTER RESULTS Kyiv was forced to find alternative routes for grain exports after many shipowners stopped stopping at ports in southern Odesa, a major hub of grain exports. After a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk, Russia was forced to stop operations at the?three terminals and will be cutting?its grain imports. The Kremlin or the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to a comment request on a report about Ukraine's offer. Alexander Grushko, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said that Moscow had not received any formal ceasefire proposals in the Black Sea before the report. We have heard many people call for moratoriums or truces in recent months. The ideas are being presented through different channels, but no formal proposals have been received," he told Russia's official news agency TASS. Euronext Wheat pared gains on Thursday in choppy trades to fall off a high of two weeks following the report. UKRAINE GRAIN TUMBLE Russia has tried to stop Ukrainian port operations, and the shipments that are a key part of Kyiv's war-ravaged economic system. After the Russian invasion of 2022, the United Nations and Turkey negotiated a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports continue in order to stave off an?imminent food crisis. In 2023, Russia refused the extension of the agreement. Ukraine established a second sea route after that which remained operational up until the most recent round of escalation. Kyiv claims that the options - rail or via the Danube- are very limited. On Sunday, Turkey expressed concerns to Russia and Ukraine about attacks, saying that both should declare a moratorium in attacks on the Black Sea. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen 76% on an annual basis so far this August due to the current de facto Black Sea port blockade. The agricultural sector has warned of the dire consequences of a continued blockade for the Ukrainian economy. Andrew Heavens edited this article.
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Stalled Alaska LNG pipeline bill sends 'negative signal,' governor says
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy expressed his "deep disappointment" at the failure of a bill in the Alaska legislature to move forward with a pipeline to export natural gases to Asia. Dunleavy wrote in a late Wednesday post on X that the decision of the legislature not to reconvene to vote on a change to tax laws?needed to progress the $50 billion project pipeline and terminal would send a 'negative signal' to potential investors and partners. Local news station KTUU reported that legislators cited insufficient support of the bill. This project will also improve access to gas for domestic use. Dunleavy stated that Alaska is running out affordable and reliable natural gas. This is an issue that has been a problem for decades and it's become more urgent after years of inaction. Delaying action increases risks, costs and limits future options. KTUU reported that Dunleavy was urging the lawmakers to reconvene for voting on August 20. The Trump administration has promoted Alaska LNG as a means to increase national security and boost trade with allies and partners, including Japan. Requests for comments were not immediately responded to by the White House or Department of Energy. Glenfarne did not respond immediately to a comment request. Glenfarne executives stated in March that the war in the Middle East was causing Asia to be more interested in gas produced by Alaska LNG. The company said that it hoped to make the final investment decisions in this year or next and begin shipping "liquefied gas" by 2031. JERA and Tokyo Gas, Japan's largest LNG importers have signed preliminary agreements to purchase a total of 2 million metric tonnes a year from Alaska LNG. The project's export terminal and pipeline are awaiting final approvals because Glenfarne is still unable to sign binding contracts for 80% (of the 20 million tonnes of LNG) of its planned?exportation capacity. Glenfarne executives claimed in March that they had secured commitments to produce 13 million tonnes of coal per year. They said that it needed to secure agreements for 3 million more tons and make all commitments legally binding in order to get financing. Reporting by Curtis Williams, Timothy Gardner and Rod Nickel.
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Source: Ukraine offers Russia a truce on the Black Sea in response to growing food shortage fears
Sources say that Ukraine sent Russia an offer to both countries asking them to stop attacking civilian targets on the Black Sea. Both countries have been warning about threats to food supplies worldwide after weeks of intense strikes against vessels and ports. Sources familiar with the matter said that Kyiv had sent the offer of suspension via a third-party, but Ukraine is still waiting for their response. Both Russia and Ukraine - major players in the global agriculture market - have accused each of intensifying their targeting of agricultural export vessels. Kyiv was forced to find alternative shipping routes when many shipowners stopped stopping at ports in the southern region of Odesa, which is a major grain exporting area. They were wary of Russian strikes on dozens?foreign flagged ships and port infrastructure. Russia didn't immediately make a public comment. Alexander Grushko, the Deputy Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Moscow had not received any formal ceasefire proposals in the Black Sea before this report. Recently, we've heard many calls for different kinds of truces and moratoriums. The ideas are being presented through different channels, but no formal proposals have been received," he said, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS. Euronext September Wheat?BL2U6 slid lower after the news about Ukraine's bid. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, said on Saturday that both Russia and Ukraine had been asked to declare a moratorium in Black Sea attacks. The de facto blockade by Russia of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in Odesa has caused Ukrainian grain exports to fall 76% in comparison to the same period last year. The agricultural sector warns of dire consequences for the Ukrainian economy if the situation continues. Andrew Heavens edited this article.
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The largest grain terminal in Russia, Novorossiysk KSK, has suspended operations
Delo Group, the owner of Russia's KSK grain terminal in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, announced on Thursday that it had suspended operations. The decision was taken to ensure the safety of staff and infrastructure, it stated. Ukraine attacked?Novorossiysk ports in a massive drone attack on Wednesday. Two other major grain terminals were?put out of service. Russian Railways, the monopoly railway company in Russia, announced on Thursday that it had limited the loading of cargoes bound for the port of Novorossiysk. According to a document reviewed by the. Novorossiysk’s 'grain' terminals, with a combined capacity of more than?20 millions tons, are the main route for Russian seaborne grains exports. Last season, they reached a record?52.7million tons. (Reporting and editing by David Goodman, Jan Harvey and Olga Popova)
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CK Hutchison’s halted Panama port operation weighs on earnings
?CK Hutchison said that its cargo traffic and 'port earnings were?affected by a halt in operations in Panama. It also added that there had been little progress on a sale of the majority of its ports businesses for $23 billion. Li Ka-shing's conglomerate, owned by Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka, is embroiled in a diplomatic dispute since U.S. president Donald Trump objected to Chinese control of ports on the Panama Canal. This was followed by the cancellation by Panama of the concessions it had in the country. CK Hutchison’s ports division reported a 1% decline?in throughput. However, earnings before interest tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), despite the HK$496?million hit from Panama, rose?4%. Panama Ports Company's (PPC) is seeking more than $2 billion from Panama in damages through arbitration, after being removed from operations at two ports near the Panama Canal for nearly 30 years. The legal battle has complicated the plan of the group to sell dozens ports around the world, including the Panamanian Terminals, to a consortium that includes BlackRock, Mediterranean Shipping Company, and another strategic investor, which sources identified as China's COSCO. Frank Sixt, Group Finance Director at a earnings conference, said that there was "absolutely" nothing to report in terms of the transaction. CK Hutchison's retail business helped to boost the group's underlying profits by 6.7% in the first six months of the year.
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One person killed in blast at Rotterdam Port Energy Facility
Officials said that a blast occurred at a storage area for 'petroleum' products in the?Port of Rotterdam,?the Netherlands, on Thursday. One person was killed and several others were injured. The cause is unknown. Gunvor, a major trading company in energy commodities, said that an "incident occurred"?during the maintenance of a storage tank. Police spokesperson said that no immediate signs of sabotage were present and?that the investigation was looking at all possibilities. Rotterdam, Europe's biggest port, is home to?oil refining facilities?,?liquefied gas terminals? and?multiple chemical plants? Shell, Exxon 'Mobil, BP, and Gunvor Energy, among others, are energy giants that operate at the port. Around 11:30 am (0930 GMT), the explosion took place. Gunvor has said that it is cooperating with the local authorities. Shell stated that the explosion had no impact on its operations at the port. The spokesperson for Rotterdam Port said that the LNG terminals were not affected. Exxonmobil has shut down all of its 191,000 barrels/day Rotterdam Refinery units due to an outage in power, according to a Wood Mackenzie alert sent to customers. Exxonmobil didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Rotterdam Port said that there was no "connection" between the explosion and the power outage. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Inti Ladnauro and Richard Lough. Writing by Richard Lough. Editing by Toby Chopra, Hugh Lawson and Toby Chopra.
UAE claims Iran attacked two ADNOC ships in Strait of Hormuz, but there were no injuries
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reported that two of its vessels were attacked Thursday evening while they transited the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported.
This was the second incident in which ADNOC vessels were involved in less than one week. The UAE condemned an alleged Iranian attack against a vessel associated with the state oil company on Saturday as it crossed the strait.
According to WAM, the state news agency of the UAE, ADNOC has confirmed that the situation is under control.
The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned a "hostile Iranian assault" on the two ADNOC ships. The UAE Foreign Ministry said that Iran's Revolutionary Guards committed "acts piracy" in targeting commercial shipping, and using the Strait of Hormuz as a means of economic pressure or extortion. This posed a threat to regional stability and global energy safety.
WAM and the Foreign Ministry did not provide any details on the ships, their cargo or any possible damage. There were no reported injuries.
The IRGC or Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment. Before the conflict, a fifth (or more) of the world's oil & liquefied gas was transported through the narrow waterway that connects Oman to Iran. Shipping has been disrupted repeatedly since the U.S. and Israel war against Iran began on February '28. This has increased freight rates, and raised security concerns.
Iran's Revolutionary?Guards had previously threatened to take action against vessels that transited the strait if their crews were linked with Tehran's enemies or failed to?obey Iranian directives. ADNOC stated on Friday that it had been'significantly affected' by unprovoked attacks against its personnel and assets. It continued to meet customer demands in an "exceptionally difficult environment."
ADNOC is Abu Dhabi's state oil company. It is the largest energy producer in the world and exports crude, natural gas, and refined products to countries around. Reporting by Enas Alashray and Eman Aboushassira, Editing by Chris Reese and Rod Nickel
(source: Reuters)