U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has withdrawn a proposal to revoke or modify certain interpretations of the Jones Act that impact domestic vessel operators, particularly exemptions related to equipment carried for offshore oil and gas companies.
After reviewing more than 3,000 public comments, CBP in May decided to keep in place exemptions and the chance for waivers that allow the nation’s oil operators to use foreign-flagged vessels and crews in the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. waters. This shift conforms to the Trump administration’s America First energy plan announced early this year.
On Jan. 18, CBP proposed revising nearly 30 Jones Act rulings, made over the past 40 years, about what constitutes “vessel equipment.” The agency planned to re-evaluate rulings interpreting the act’s applications to pipe and cable laying, well stimulation, subsea construction and other operations.
The proposal, made in the last days of President Obama’s administration, would have eliminated CBP exemptions allowing foreign crews to do work intended for Americans under the Jones Act, formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. U.S. offshore oil and gas operators warned that such a move would cause companies to leave the Gulf of Mexico and head to foreign sites.
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Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
