The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted Amazon’s Zoox Inc. a landmark exemption for its U.S.-manufactured, purpose-built autonomous vehicles (AVs). This decision allows Zoox to deploy robotaxis...more
8/11/2025
/ Automated Transportation ,
Automotive Industry ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Driverless Cars ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Exemptions ,
FMVSS ,
Government Agencies ,
Innovative Technology ,
Manufacturers ,
NHTSA ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safety Standards ,
Transportation Industry
On July 30, 2025, Aurora Innovation, an autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, announced that it has commenced full driverless nighttime operations on its Dallas-to-Houston freight lane, expanding its autonomous trucking...more
8/6/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automation Systems ,
Automotive Industry ,
Commercial Vehicles ,
Emerging Technologies ,
Freight Forwarding ,
Innovative Technology ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry
Key point: The US Coast Guard’s new cybersecurity rule will transform the security standards and reporting requirements for vessels and marine facilities nationwide over the next three years.
On July 16, 2025, the US Coast...more
7/31/2025
/ Coast Guard ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA) ,
Cyber Threats ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
FBI ,
Final Rules ,
Government Agencies ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Maritime Transport ,
Outer Continental Shelf ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Training ,
Vessels
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its 14-month investigation into Waymo, the autonomous vehicle (AV) subsidiary of Alphabet, finding no systemic safety violations. The probe examined 22...more
Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced its intention to implement 52 deregulatory actions across the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and National Highway...more
6/16/2025
/ Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Deregulation ,
Federal Highway Administration ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Final Rules ,
Government Agencies ,
Motor Carriers ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Transportation Industry
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently announced it was launching a non-adjudicatory investigation into whether foreign vessel flagging laws and practices create unfavorable shipping conditions for the U.S. trade. The...more
This week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a slew of proposed rule changes—18 in all—designed to streamline operations, reduce unnecessary paperwork, and align regulations with modern...more
5/30/2025
/ Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Compliance ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
FMCSA ,
Government Agencies ,
Motor Carriers ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry
Recent moves by federal and California regulators point to increased support for the development and accelerated rollout of autonomous vehicles (AVs). While these changes are incremental rather than sweeping, they show a...more
On April 24, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it is expanding the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP) to allow domestically produced autonomous vehicles to qualify for...more
4/29/2025
/ Automated Systems ,
Automotive Industry ,
Biden Administration ,
Government Agencies ,
New Regulations ,
NHTSA ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration
On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” launching a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and workforce. The executive...more
On January 13, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari in the case of Gauthier vs. Total Quality Logistics, leaving the decision of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals intact. This means that freight...more
1/15/2025
/ Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
Business Litigation ,
Compliance ,
Denial of Certiorari ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Jurisdiction ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Negligence ,
Preemption ,
SCOTUS ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry ,
Wrongful Death
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract. Both parties described the deal as a “win-win,” addressing the...more
1/10/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automation Systems ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Contract Terms ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employment Contract ,
Job Creation ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
Longshoremen ,
Maritime Transport ,
Strike ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Few areas will be as impacted by the incoming second Trump administration as international trade policy. Check out our team’s assessment of what the coming year may bring for trade regulation and enforcement.
Husch...more
12/19/2024
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Chevron Deference ,
China ,
Connected Cars ,
Court of International Trade ,
Customer Identification Program (CIP) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Disruptive Trading Practices ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Geopolitical Risks ,
Infringement ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
ITAR ,
Military End Use ,
NVOCCs ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Outbound Transactions ,
Russia ,
SDN List ,
Section 201 ,
Section 301 ,
Section 337 ,
Smuggling ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Act of 1974 ,
Trade Expansion Act of 1962 ,
Trade Remedies ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
TWEA ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
WTO
The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that containerized imports will continue their unseasonably high volumes through the end of the year, as both November and December imports are projected to be up nearly 15% from...more
12/13/2024
/ Automation Systems ,
Canada ,
Imports ,
Labor Disputes ,
Longshoremen ,
Mexico ,
Ports ,
Retailers ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Strike ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions ,
US Trade Policies
Intensifying international crises, increasing regulatory burdens, and uncertain macroeconomic conditions have led to an era of caution for manufacturers, but hidden among those challenges are exciting opportunities for...more
10/25/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Bribery ,
Complex Corporate Transactions ,
Compliance ,
Copyright ,
Cyber Threats ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employment Litigation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Fraud ,
Geopolitical Risks ,
Government Agencies ,
Healthcare ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Trade ,
Kickbacks ,
Logistics ,
Manufacturers ,
Marketing ,
National Association of Manufacturers ,
OSHA ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Agencies ,
Subject Matter Jurisdiction ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Safety
Thursday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached an agreement that extends the ILA labor agreement that ended September 30, 2024, and that allows dockworkers...more
As the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) strike commenced yesterday morning, our team received word from a source with knowledge of operations at the Port of New York and New Jersey (NYNJ) that, one by one, NYNJ...more
Time has run out on efforts to negotiate and implement a new labor contract that would head off a work stoppage at all U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. On October 1, 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association...more
With the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) preparing to strike on October 1, 2024, a key concern of impacted shippers is how to minimize demurrage charges for inbound containers that may be inaccessible for the...more
On September 30, 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) labor agreement with U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast port operators ends. With negotiations over the summer unsuccessful, the possibility of a strike...more
9/17/2024
/ Imports ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Labor Disputes ,
Longshoremen ,
Negotiations ,
Ports ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Strike ,
Supply Chain ,
Taft-Hartley Act ,
Unions
Earlier this week, two U.S. congressmen released proposed language for a bill—the Justice for Victims of Foreign Vessel Accidents Act—that was first announced via press release in August 2024. The proposed law would raise the...more
Earlier this week, 159 trade associations representing key supply chain stakeholders sent a letter to the Biden administration and relevant congressional committees calling on the U.S. government to intervene in the stalled...more
The Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) Final Rule on Demurrage and Detention Invoicing (Final Rule) is in effect. The Final Rule requires certain minimum information for demurrage and detention (D&D) invoices and provides...more
In a unanimous ruling earlier this month, the Supreme Court in Bissonnette, et al., v. LePage Bakeries Park St., LLC, et al., 601 U.S. ----144 S.Ct. 905 (2024) held that transportation workers need not work for a company in...more
The third installment in our Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse series (see Part I and Part II) examines the short- and long-term Eastern port impact, including the temporary increase in cargo volume and the Federal Maritime...more