From the desk of Capt. Jeff Monroe, MM, AMPE International Association of Maritime and Port Executives US ARMY CORPS FUNDING The President has signed a massive spending bill to fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2018. The government had been operating on a series of continuing resolutions since October, and this agreement removes the uncertainty that arises from those short-term measures. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works program would receive funding of $6.8 billion, an increase of $789 million from the FY17 levels. That includes $3 billion for navigation projects and studies, with $1.4 billion from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and full use of reven
From the desk of Capt. Jeff Monroe, MM, AMPE International Association of Maritime and Port Executives US ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST PORTS MAKE CONTAINER VOLUME GAINS ON WEST COAST PORTS The recently released Pacific Merchant Shipping Association West Coast Trade Report is showing that the US Coasts on the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast are showing increases in cargo mostly due to the expansion of the Panama Canal. The report noted that in 2017, US East Coast ports experienced an 8.6% increase in containerized shipments from East Asia over 2016. Jacksonville, Charleston and Norfolk had the largest gains in either imports or exports of the ten largest container ports on the East Coast. In compar
From the desk of Capt. Jeff Monroe, MM, AMPE International Association of Maritime and Port Executives WORLDWIDE BUNKER FUEL SULFUR CAP DELAY POSSIBLE The new worldwide bunker fuel sulfur cap is scheduled to take effect 2020 but some believe the convention will not actually come into effect as currently scheduled. The IMO regulations, which are relevant to the convention, in terms of how to apply and implement the convention, have still not been finalized. The majority of shipping companies have still not made up their minds on what measures they will be taking, to comply with the convention. Also, refineries are not expected to be able to produce a sufficient amount of low sulfur fuel oil