Shipping and Logistics
Austal USA Wins Another Steel Contract with the US Navy
Written by Laura Miller
June 20, 2022
Austal USA has won another contract with the US Navy. This latest design and construction contract is valued at $128 million.
Austal will build a medium auxiliary floating dry dock for the US Navy at its shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala. The dry dock will have an overall length of 694 feet, an overall pontoon breadth of 157 feet, and a height of 65 feet from baseline to wing deck.
Austal opened its new steel manufacturing line in Mobile in April this year.
The company’s first steel contract with the US Navy – a $145 million contract for two towing, salvage, and rescue ships – was awarded last year. SSAB Americas, whose 1.25-million-tons-per-year plate manufacturing facility is located in nearby Axis, Ala., was previously announced as the supplier of the steel for the shipbuilding project.
By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Laura Miller
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Shipping and Logistics
Wittbecker: Challenges ahead for container freight in 2025
In 2024, volatility with a capital “V” has been the rule. That will remain high heading into 2025.
Reibus: November flatbed rates cool after October bump
Following the short-lived East Coast port labor strike in October, we now turn toward the Jan. 15 deadline to reach a long-term agreement.
Reibus: Flatbed, dry van rates ticked up post-hurricanes
After closing the third quarter -3.84% on a y/y basis, our first look at fourth-quarter flatbed spot rates puts us virtually flat y/y, coming in at -0.68%.
Leibowitz: Thorny issues remain as ILA-USMX talks kicked into 2025
On Thursday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing carriers and port operators on the East and Gulf Coasts, announced a three-and-a-half-month extension of the recently expired collective bargaining agreement. The extension kicks the can down the road until Jan. 15, 2025, after the 2024 election and the certification of the results on Jan. 6.
Ports strike over as longshoremen reach tentative pact with employers
The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement on wages on Thursday evening. The move ends a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports that began on Tuesday and that had threatened significant supply-chain disruptions.