REBUILD THE UNITED STATES!

BY STAS MARGARONIS The United States is facing growing challenges exporting agricultural products abroad at a time when it lacks the U.S. flagged vessels to support international trade, according to panelists addressing a Maritime Day symposium entitled “Do U.S. Exporters Need U.S. Ships?” The presentations were made before the Propeller Club of Northern California on May 16th via Zoom. In his...

(Photo: Almond Board of California) BY STAS MARGARONIS An association of U.S. agricultural exporters is asking the Biden administration to negotiate with ocean carriers to increase the number of loaded exports they pick up from U.S. ports so as to avoid major export losses in 2022. “American almonds, dairy products, fresh produce and other agricultural communities have been unable to reliably...

The California Maritime Training Ship 'Golden Bear' (Photo: CSU Maritime Academy) By Stas Margaronis In This Report: How Some Maritime Schools Address Harassment CMA Commandant Suspended After Speaking Out Against Racism and Sexism CMA Taking Steps To Address Harassment CMA’s Cropper Addresses Hate Speech CMA Changes Encourage Cautious Optimism Sophie Scopazzi Challenges The CMA System...

By Kevin Policarpo   Over four decades ago, China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping stated that the country needed to compete with the Western nations and develop four sectors, the “Four Modernizations.” These four goals set by Deng were designed to strengthen China’s agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense sectors. Today, China is a rising leader in multiple technological...

Photo: Matson By Stas Margaronis The crisis faced by U.S. agricultural exporters unable to book sufficient space on foreign-flag ocean carriers will only be solved when the United States starts to build new ships, according to Dr. Salvatore R. Mercogliano, associate professor of history at Campbell University in North Carolina and adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In an...

By Stas Margaronis Following the end of World War II, the Japanese government sought to re-establish its industrial base through shipbuilding. It recognized that shipbuilding would replace its decimated merchant fleet with brand new vessels and that by developing itself as a low-cost producer would encourage foreign buyers to build in Japan creating orders for ships, steel, pipe and other...

BY STAS MARGARONIS Last November International Propeller Club president James Patti, warned that a lack of U.S. flag shipping has made the United States vulnerable to the increasing economic dominance of China. He also warned that a lack of investment in the nation’s maritime infrastructure was making a bad situation worse. Patti, who also also serves as the chair of USA Maritime, a coalition...

BY STAS MARGARONIS As the backlog of import containers at container terminals has declined, Eugene Seroka, executive director Port of Los Angeles, said the Port is turning its attention to the backlog of empty containers and may impose fees on empty containers that dwell on terminals “excessively.” Backlog of Empty Containers Speaking at the Port’s media briefing on December 15th, Seroka said...

Proposed APM Plaquemines Container Terminal By Stas Margaronis On November 17th, the Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District (PPHTD) located South of New Orleans and APM Terminals announced a ‘Letter of Intent,” whereby APM Terminals “will become the operator of the newly planned container terminal and intermodal rail facility.” According to an earlier APM press release: “The proposed,...