Usa News

Oil prices fell about 1% on Friday as markets weighed the possibility of a truce between the US and Iran against concerns that increasing attacks against Saudi Arabia by Houthi fighters could disrupt supply from the Middle Eastern producer.Brent futures were down $1.14, or 1.1%, at $105.46 a barrel by 10:03 a.m. EDT (1403 GMT), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.05, also 1.1%, to $93.56.That put Brent up about 2% for the week and WTI down about 7%.US and Iranian…

US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path out of war that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the talks said.The strait has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the nearly seven-month US-Iran conflict, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade that is choking its economy and Washington seeking free passage for ships on the global oil supply route now blocked by Tehran.The talks face a big obstacle as neither side wants to be the first to surrender its leverage…

The International Propeller Club of Norway announced a new partnership with Höegh Autoliners, strengthening the Club’s growing engagement with leading companies across the Norwegian and international maritime community.The partnership was marked during the opening reception of New York High-Level Week and New York Climate Week, held at the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York. The signing brought together Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners, and Danielle Centeno, President of the International Propeller Club…

Shipowners have already ordered more than twice as many supertankers this year as in all of 2025, a buying spree worth over $20 billion that is the biggest for at least 25 years, as the US-Iran war redraws trade routes and boosts demand for long-haul crude shipments.Data from Signal Group, a shipping analytics platform, show 217 Very Large Crude Carriers ordered so far in 2026, against 93 last year. Allied Shipbroking recorded 164 VLCC orders, up from 83. A VLCC carries about…

The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a key New Jersey water permit for U.S. energy company Williams Cos' long-delayed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) natural gas pipeline project in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.The court said in a ruling on Tuesday that it granted petitions by environmental groups, vacated the Water Quality Certification and remanded the case to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).“Following the Third Circuit's decision…

Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war.The attacks sent the price of oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing.Iran also said it had fired ballistic missiles at a base used by U.S. forces in Jordan.

Chicago wheat futures jumped on Tuesday as hopes faded for a U.S. diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted Black Sea grain shipments, analysts and traders said.Corn and soybean futures chopped up and down as traders adjusted positions ahead of Friday's U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report.The most-traded wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was 4-3/4 cents higher to $7.38-3/4 per bushelas of 11:00 a.m. CT (1600 GMT). It had jumped as high as $7.63 in earlier overnight trade.CBOT corn fell 2-3/4 cents to $5.34 a bushel…

For the first time on record, Iran has gone about seven weeks without shipping meaningful crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz, as a U.S. naval blockade succeeds where years of sanctions failed by cutting off one of Tehran's main sources of foreign-currency earnings. Unlike previous sanctions campaigns, when Iranian crude continued reaching buyers despite restrictions, the current blockade has stopped fresh crude cargoes reaching China, Tehran's only major remaining oil customer, increasing pressure on government finances and foreign-currency reserves.Since the U.S.

Iran condemned the United States' new economic sanctions on Friday as "state terrorism" and said other countries were legally obliged not to implement them, while the U.S. Treasury Department announced additional targeted Iran-related measures.The Iranian foreign ministry's statement came as mediators stepped up efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which handled 20% of world oil supplies before the war began six months ago and whose status remains the biggest obstacle to a…

Turkey increased its imports of diesel from the United States and India in August to record levels, shipping data showed, as a Russian ban on diesel exports and wider disruption caused by the Iran war prompted its importers to diversify their sources of supply.So far this month, Turkey has imported more than 120,000 barrels per day of Indian diesel, while its imports from the U.S. reached 90,000 bpd, according to commodities data firm Kpler.These volumes are the highest monthly totals on record…

SHIPPINGInsight confirmed that Captain Stephen Carmel, U.S. Maritime Administrator, will deliver the opening keynote address at SHIPPINGInsight’s PROJECT 2027: Catalyzing the U.S. Maritime Industry into Action, powered by AMIC (American Maritime Industrial Coalition), to be held October 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. His remarks, entitled “State of Play for U.S. Maritime,” will assess the current condition of the nation’s maritime capabilities and outline priorities for the industry going forward.The address comes as federal agencies…

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ordered both Alaska Tanker Company (ATC) and Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), Saltchuk Resources subsidiaries, to immediately recognize the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) and bargain in good faith with more than 125 Licensed Deck Officers.The officers voted decisively for MM&P representation in separate NLRB-certified elections in 2024, winning 70% at OSG and 80% at ATC. Instead of beginning first-contract negotiations, ATC and OSG challenged the results and unlawfully refused to bargain.

Planned new U.S. sanctions on Iran and the UAE's halt on Tehran trade could severely disrupt Indian exports of rice, tea and pharmaceuticals to Iran, which have been largely routed through Dubai's port in recent years, Indian exporters said on Monday.India has been among Iran's five largest trading partners, though bilateral trade has fallen by more than 90% from its 2018/19 highs of $17 billion, with exports now limited mostly to goods exempted on humanitarian grounds.Indian exporters fear U.S.

TOTE Services, LLC, a U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, together with Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Inc. (HPSI), has completed the fourth of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV), the LONE STAR STATE. Today, the vessel was delivered to the U.S. Department of Transportation-Maritime Administration (MARAD) and will be homeported at Texas A&M Maritime Academy.The LONE STAR STATE is a purpose-built NSMV developed to modernize the training capabilities of the nation’s state maritime academies.

Oil prices were steady on Friday and were on track for a second straight weekly gain after the United States threatened to impose the toughest sanctions in history with no end in sight for disruptions to Middle East oil flows.Brent crude futures rose 20 cents, or 0.21%, to $93.98 a barrel by 1307 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 7 cents, or 0.08%, at $86.90.The Brent benchmark has gained more than 6.1% while WTI has risen 5.3% this week, with both touching their highest since July 24 in the previous session."The U.S.

Crowley, a provider of logistics, marine and energy solutions, announced a new weekly container service connecting Port Houston to Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala, and Puerto Cortés, Honduras, two of Central America’s largest and fastest-growing trade gateways.The Gulf-Central America Express Service makes its first Houston call on Sept. 10 with Thursday departures. Crowley’s vessels will carry dry and refrigerated containers that safely transport a range of fresh produce, apparel, industrial products and consumer goods from sea to land.

U.S. natural gas futures rose to a near four-week high on Wednesday, supported by forecasts for hotter weather and firm oil prices, while investors awaited a federal storage report due this week. Front-month gas futures for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 9.6 cents, or 3.5%, to $2.87 per million British thermal units, their highest level since July 24. Oil prices steadied near a three-week high on uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and other ongoing supply disruptions in the market. "(Natgas) market is currently edging higher...

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and none were scheduled, and he insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting an earlier Iranian assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.The receding prospects of a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict drove up oil prices again on Tuesday, while stock markets sagged and borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. hit multi-decade highs, amid concerns…

This September, the 99th International Propeller Club Convention comes to San Diego. Hosted by the Propeller Club Port of San Diego (PCSD), part of a worldwide network of more than 80 Clubs, the Convention will bring maritime professionals and industry leaders from across the United States and around the world together to discuss the challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the future of the maritime industry.Centered around the theme, "Advancing Maritime Excellence: Where Tradition Meets Innovation…

Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to "fully offensive" due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.Progress towards peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt, with no sign that the warring parties are moving towards ending the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28."Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region…

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to grind to a near standstill on Friday after two more ships were attacked there and the United States said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely.A senior Iranian source said on Wednesday that there had been no progress in talks to build on a June agreement to end the war. Since the ceasefire renewed in the June deal broke down, Iran has resumed attacks on ships it accuses of trying to transit the strait without its…

The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as long as the U.S. does not change its behaviour and accept Iran's conditions to end the war, the newly appointed secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday.His comments are the strongest indication so far that any deal in talks with Oman over the waterway would not immediately reopen it to shipping if the U.S. does not also abide by its commitments in a memorandum of understanding towards ending the conflict…

Training Ship State of Maine, the third of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels built for the U.S. state maritime academies, seen at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine.