Two new marine highway systems have added 250 miles to the Ohio River system and 6,500 miles of Alaskan waterways to the national transportation system to improve freight shipments.

Congressional transportation leaders recently raised concerns over the Biden administration’s temporary waiver of the Jones Act during emergency relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

To alleviate bottlenecks along the country’s major supply chains, the Maritime Administration recently awarded nearly $39 million in grants to a dozen marine highway projects.

WASHINGTON ­— A U.S. Senate panel easily approved legislation meant to facilitate the flow of freight at the country’s ports.

BERLIN — The International Maritime Organization said Oct. 5 that its members will aim for “net-zero” carbon emissions by 2050, following a commitment to the same goal by the world’s airline industry a day earlier.

The Biden administration tapped Daniel Maffei to lead the Federal Maritime Commission, the agency announced recently.

Plans to extend the world’s biggest carbon market into shipping drew criticism from the industry and Asian nations, highlighting growing conflict over Europe’s unprecedented moves to protect the environment.

One month after the International Maritime Organization’s mandate prohibiting the use of heavily polluting bunker fuel in cargo and cruise ships began, oil industry analysts said the diesel fuel market is stable.

Years of planning and preparation by the ocean shipping, oil and trucking industries are set to pay off as adequate supplies of diesel fuel are expected to be ready now that an International Maritime Organization mandate for the use of lower polluting fuel on ocean vessels is about to take effect.

Shippers have fewer than three weeks until new rules kick in forcing them to burn cleaner fuels, but the regulations are already redefining key trade routes in the global oil-product markets.