Maritime Unions Push for U.S.-Flag Mandate on Venezuelan Oil to Rebuild American Shipping Fleet

Mike Schuler January 9, 2026

America’s largest maritime labor unions are urging the Trump administration and Congress to require that any Venezuelan crude imported into the United States be carried exclusively on U.S.-flag vessels crewed by American mariners, arguing the move would strengthen national security while jump-starting the long-declining domestic shipping fleet.

In a joint letter issued Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leaders of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), American Maritime Officers (AMO), Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), and the Seafarers International Union (SIU) said U.S. energy policy should be aligned with “Ship American” principles.

“A cornerstone of an effective national maritime policy is gaining access to private, commercial cargoes that create steady demand for U.S.-flag vessels, American mariners, and the shipbuilding industrial base,” the unions wrote.

They argue that sanctions on Venezuelan oil, while intended to pressure the Maduro regime, have had an unintended side effect: pushing crude exports into foreign-controlled trading networks and so-called “shadow fleet” tankers that operate outside U.S. labor, safety, and transparency standards.

That shift, the unions say, has effectively shut American operators out of energy cargoes that could otherwise support U.S. ships and crews, even as Venezuela sits on an estimated 303 billion barrels of proven crude reserves and U.S. Gulf Coast refineries remain well-suited to process its heavy grades.

Mandating U.S.-flag transport for Venezuelan oil entering the country, the groups argue, would provide reliable cargo for American carriers, improve sanctions compliance, reduce reliance on opaque foreign shipping networks, and give refiners more stable supply options at a time of persistent energy-price volatility.

The proposal dovetails with President Trump’s April 2025 executive order, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, which calls for rebuilding U.S. commercial shipbuilding capacity, expanding the U.S.-flag fleet, and strengthening the maritime workforce. A broader Maritime Action Plan is expected later this year.

“American mariners are ready to step up and assist the Administration in its efforts to counteract malign foreign influences that seek to transport sanctioned goods through opaque and unsafe channels,” the unions wrote. “Requiring U.S.-flag vessels, manned by American mariners, to transport Venezuelan crude oil legally and safely would uphold long-standing maritime principles and ensure that global energy supply chains function in accordance with U.S. laws and standards.”

The letter was signed by Willie Barrere, president of AMO; Dave Heindel, president of SIU; Don Josberger, president of MM&P; and Adam Vokac, president of MEBA.

Whether the administration embraces the proposal remains unclear, but the push reflects a broader effort by labor groups to tie energy security directly to rebuilding the U.S. maritime industrial base.

https://gcaptain.com/maritime-unions-push-for-u-s-flag-mandate-on-venezuelan-oil-to-rebuild-american-shipping-fleet/

"broader effort by labor groups to tie energy security directly to rebuilding the U.S. maritime industrial base" There a very few U.S. licensed mariners, the unions that have ignored maritime everything while democrats let everything die now want a piece of the pie

How a Quiet Regulatory Power Shift Could Supercharge U.S. Energy ExportsPart One

Paul Morgan January 9, 2026

A new policy hands MARAD the lead role in approving offshore ports, a move officials say will streamline environmental reviews and unlock billions in stalled energy export projects.

Paul Morgan (gCaptain) – In a move that could reshape how the United States approves some of its most strategically important maritime infrastructure, the Trump administration has transferred responsibility for deepwater port licensing from the U.S. Coast Guard to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).

The policy, announced on January 5 by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, marks the most significant change to offshore terminal permitting since the Deepwater Port Act was passed more than fifty years ago. Officials say the shift will streamline environmental reviews, reduce multiyear delays and accelerate development of major offshore facilities, including LNG export terminals, crude-oil loading platforms, and the ports required to support the next generation of offshore wind and alternative-fuel industries.

At the center of the shift is a consequential administrative reordering. MARAD will now serve as the lead federal agency for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, taking over from the Coast Guard, which has led these reviews since the 1970s. The Coast Guard retains its central role in safety oversight, structural and operational regulation, security standards and inspection of deepwater port facilities, but it no longer directs the licensing process itself. The change was authorized by language in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, which formally reassigns NEPA duties and licensing leadership to MARAD.

The rationale behind the change is rooted in long-standing frustration with the pace of offshore terminal approvals. Under the Deepwater Port Act, developers must satisfy extensive environmental, maritime-safety and financial criteria before a license can be granted. The statistics reveal a regulatory bottleneck that has frustrated industry for decades. Since the licensing system was created in 1975, only 31 applications have been filed and a mere eight licenses ever issued. Several flagship projects illustrate the problem.

According to MARAD’s website, more than 3.8 million barrels per day of new offshore crude export capacity and roughly 10.6 million tonnes per year of LNG capacity are currently stalled in the Maritime Administration’s deepwater port licensing pipeline, with at least four major oil and gas terminals trapped under so-called “stop-clock” suspensions. The delayed projects — Blue Marlin, Bluewater Texas, New Fortress Energy’s Louisiana FLNG, and West Delta LNG — represent enough capacity to materially reshape U.S. energy exports, tanker demand, and global supply balances, yet most have been effectively frozen since 2019–2022 as regulators await additional environmental and technical information.

Phillips 66’s Bluewater Terminal, filed in May 2019, suffered a devastating setback in 2022 when the EPA forced the company to withdraw and refile permits due to emissions compliance issues. After six years, the project remains suspended and in regulatory limbo. Energy Transfer’s Blue Marlin Offshore Port, filed in October 2020, has been positioned as the only brownfield project that could leverage existing infrastructure to speed construction, yet still awaits federal approval despite completing internal engineering studies and securing a heads of agreement with TotalEnergies.

MARAD and senior DOT officials argue that giving a single agency clear responsibility for coordinating environmental reviews will eliminate duplication, reduce bottlenecks and allow the United States to approve strategically important maritime infrastructure at a pace that matches market demand. Duffy framed the change as central to President Trump’s energy dominance strategy, arguing it will help America use more of its natural resources, create good-paying jobs, and lower energy costs for families.

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How a Quiet Regulatory Power Shift Could Supercharge U.S. Energy ExportsPart Two

MARAD Administrator Steve Carmel, who was only recently confirmed in December, said the agency is ready to take the helm. “We’re excited to lead the Deepwater Port Program and continue working closely with the Coast Guard to make the process more efficient and fuel our energy economy for years to come.”

Just before the policy shift took effect, Sentinel Midstream’s Texas GulfLink deepwater crude oil export terminal received its Record of Decision from MARAD on February 14, 2025, concluding a multi-year environmental and technical review. Located approximately 30 miles off Brazoria County, Texas, the facility represents the kind of project the administration hopes to expedite.

For the U.S. energy sector, the implications are immediate. Offshore LNG export terminals, often built in deepwater locations because their carriers require depths that many onshore ports cannot provide, have become vital to America’s role as one of the world’s largest LNG suppliers.

Preliminary data shows the United States became the world’s first country to export more than 100 million tonnes of LNG in a single year in 2025, while crude oil exports topped 4.1 million barrels per day in 2024. Companies behind several proposed Gulf-based projects, including floating liquefaction schemes and fixed-platform gas export terminals, have privately expressed confidence that MARAD’s more centralized coordination will reduce waiting times and increase investor certainty. A more predictable approval pathway could unlock billions of dollars in spending over the next decade.

Ports, dredging firms, offshore engineering specialists and vessel operators have welcomed the change. The American Association of Port Authorities praised the decision as common-sense reform, arguing that it aligns environmental oversight with MARAD’s broader mission to strengthen U.S. maritime infrastructure. Supporters argue that MARAD, as part of the Department of Transportation, is better suited than the Coast Guard to coordinate NEPA consultations with other federal agencies such as NOAA, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, all of which play central roles in environmental and navigational reviews.

But not everyone is convinced. Critics, including former MARAD officials and environmental-law specialists, warn that the transition risks overwhelming an agency that has historically played a smaller role in NEPA litigation and environmental analysis than the Coast Guard. Jeff Lewis, former MARAD chief counsel now with Cozen O’Connor, warned last year that the Coast Guard standards and law divisions already have the breadth and depth of experience from 50 years of deepwater port work, while MARAD does not possess these competencies at all.

Some worry that the change could weaken environmental scrutiny or create fresh administrative confusion if MARAD lacks sufficient personnel and technical expertise. A 2025 legal commentary by Cozen O’Connor warned that the shift could undermine the robustness of environmental assessments and complicate the interface between environmental analysis and maritime safety obligations.

Environmental groups remain cautious. Although the administrative reorganization does not reduce the legal obligations under NEPA or the Deepwater Port Act, requirements for impact assessments, endangered-species consultations, air-quality modelling and spill-risk mitigation remain unchanged. They fear that political pressure to accelerate fossil-fuel export capacity could influence how aggressively MARAD evaluates cumulative impacts. Texas Gulf Link, which received its Record of Decision just weeks ago, is projected to emit over 100 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. Residents along the Texas Gulf Coast have raised concerns about air quality impacts on already overburdened communities, reflecting broader tensions between the administration’s energy dominance agenda and environmental justice advocates who argue these facilities lock in decades of fossil fuel dependence and pollution. The Department of Transportation insists that every statutory safeguard remains intact, and that NEPA timelines will be improved through better coordination rather than reduced scrutiny.

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How a Quiet Regulatory Power Shift Could Supercharge U.S. Energy ExportsPart Three

Beyond energy exports, the policy has wider resonance for the U.S. maritime sector. Deepwater port licenses are expected to underpin future offshore infrastructure, including ammonia and hydrogen export hubs, large-scale carbon-capture and sequestration terminals, and the supply bases needed to support expanded offshore wind deployment. The Deepwater Port Act was originally designed for oil imports but has evolved significantly over five decades. Congress expanded the law in 2002 to include natural gas facilities and again in 2012 to address LNG exports specifically. As these industries grow, MARAD’s leadership role could make it one of the most influential agencies shaping the next generation of American maritime commerce.

The shift also reflects a broader repositioning of maritime priorities in Washington. Amid geopolitical competition over energy security, supply-chain resilience and emerging maritime technologies, the U.S. is moving toward a more coordinated federal maritime strategy. Streamlining deepwater port approval is one element of a wider effort to expand offshore industrial capacity and solidify U.S. influence in global energy markets. With global energy demand in flux, shipping markets tightening and geopolitical tensions reshaping trade routes, the ability of the United States to approve and build modern deepwater ports will help determine the country’s competitiveness in a world where maritime infrastructure is once again a strategic asset.

For now, the transition from the Coast Guard to MARAD is complete. The test will come in the months ahead, as MARAD begins issuing draft and final environmental impact statements for pending deepwater port proposals. If timelines improve without compromising safety or environmental integrity, the change may be hailed as the most significant modernization of U.S. offshore-infrastructure policy in decades. If not, critics will claim that Washington has traded expertise for expediency. What is certain is that the stakes are high, both for the projects worth billions of dollars currently languishing in the regulatory pipeline and for America’s broader ambitions to dominate global energy markets through expanded maritime infrastructure.

https://gcaptain.com/how-a-quiet-regulatory-power-shift-could-supercharge-u-s-energy-exports/