Maritime Industry Briefing: Hormuz Transit Collapse, Jones Act Row, and Container Rate Gains

## Maritime Industry Briefing ### Hormuz Tanker Transits Fall to Single Digits Commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to single-digit daily transits via the southern route following the latest escalation between the United States and Iran, according to INTERTANKO, the international association of independent tanker owners. The sharp decline underscores the acute vulnerability of global energy supply chains to geopolitical flashpoints in the Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, with roughly 20% of global oil trade passing through it under normal conditions. INTERTANKO has issued guidance to members as operators weigh risk exposure and alternative routing options. ### American Mariners Protest Jones Act Waiver for Chinese Tanker American merchant mariners staged a protest outside Marathon Petroleum's refinery in Garyville, Louisiana, as a Chinese-flagged tanker prepared to conduct another domestic voyage under an emergency Jones Act waiver granted by the Trump administration. The demonstration highlights growing scrutiny over the use of foreign-flagged vessels in US coastwise trade, a practice the Jones Act is specifically designed to prohibit. Critics argue that repeated waivers undermine the intent of the cabotage law and threaten American seafarer employment. The protest adds political pressure to an already contentious debate over energy logistics and maritime labour policy. ### First Nation Challenges Vancouver Port Dredging Approval The Tsleil-Waututh Nation has filed a legal challenge seeking to overturn federal approvals for a dredging project in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, that would facilitate expanded oil tanker access to the Trans Mountain terminal. The Nation argues the approval process failed to adequately account for Indigenous rights and environmental concerns related to increased tanker traffic in the inlet. The legal action adds a further layer of uncertainty to Trans Mountain-related infrastructure development and signals that First Nations oversight of marine environmental decisions in Canadian waters remains a significant regulatory consideration for port operators and energy shippers. ### Container Spot Rates Edge Higher Ahead of Peak Season Test Container freight spot rates on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades posted moderate gains this week, according to gCaptain, even in the absence of carrier-initiated general rate increases. Demand remained firm, with the market approaching what analysts describe as a mid-July test of peak season momentum. The performance will be closely watched as an indicator of whether cargo volumes can sustain rate levels without active carrier intervention, particularly given ongoing uncertainty around trade policy and inventory cycles. ### Singapore and Indonesia Sign Carbon Credits MOU Singapore and Indonesia formalised a Memorandum of Understanding on carbon credits collaboration at last week's Leaders' Retreat in Jakarta. While the signing has been welcomed as a diplomatic step forward, analysts caution that the substantive work of establishing credible, tradeable carbon credit frameworks remains ahead. For the maritime sector, the development is relevant to decarbonisation strategies and the potential use of nature-based offsets to meet emissions reduction targets under IMO and EU regulatory frameworks.