United States: Marine/ Shipping

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated two entities allegedly facilitating IRGC revenue collection through maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, raising critical compliance questions for vessel owners and operators. This action targets entities that purport to offer legitimate marine insurance and security services but function as mechanisms for extracting payments to benefit Iranian regime actors. The designations underscore heightened U.S. scrutiny of arrangements that ma

The EU's Mediterranean naval taskforce IRINI has intensified its enforcement activities against sanctioned vessels, conducting multiple flag verification boardings of oil tankers operating in contested regulatory waters. Recent operations have focused on vessels with uncertain flag status and previous sanctions designations, raising questions about the effectiveness of current maritime compliance mechanisms.

On July 22, 2026, the House narrowly approved the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800) by a vote of 216 to 212, sending the measure to the Senate. Tucked inside the massive defense policy bill are two amendments that, together, amount to the broadest rewrite of federal maritime law in a generation.

On June 14 and 15, 2026, the United States and Iran announced that they had reached a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, intended to halt ongoing hostilities and establish a framework for further negotiations.

Modifies several existing marine national monument proclamations to remove monument-based prohibitions on commercial fishing in designated areas of the Pacific Ocean, including portions of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument.

Over $68 million in combined awards — issued within months of each other — reflect the FMC's sharpest enforcement posture in its history.

Recent federal court rulings have created a significant split among U.S. appellate circuits over how to define a "package" under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA), with liability outcomes varying...

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have created safety concerns, complex legal implications and delays for shipping companies operating in one of the world's most vital trade waterways.

Cyber‑enabled cargo theft is a modern form of freight theft in which criminals use digital impersonation, stolen credentials and system manipulation to fraudulently obtain cargo...