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U.S. Unveils Shipping-Revival Plan; Zim Finds Buyer; Demand Booms for Trade-Compliance Pros By Mark R. Long | WSJ Logistics Report

The Trump administration released its long-awaited plan to revive the U.S. maritime industry, with proposals including new fees on cargo brought to the U.S . on foreign-built ships.

The Maritime Action Plan lays out dozens of ways the U.S. can raise revenue and encourage private-sector investments, the WSJ Logistics Report's Paul Berger writes. Shipbuilders, vessel owners, investors and legislators have been waiting for months for the document

as a signal of the White House's pledged commitment to a once-in-a-generation investment in shipbuilding and the maritime workforce.

The recommendations include the establishment of maritime prosperity zones to court investment and a Maritime Security Trust Fund to finance maritime programs, as well as the new fees on cargo. The 33-page document doesn't detail how and when most proposals could be implemented.

The government hopes the plan will give companies and investors confidence to make big investments in the maritime industry, while legislators hope it will build momentum for the SHIPS for America Act

working its way through Congress.

NOAA plans to announce a proposed " deregulatory-focused action " changing rules requiring large ships to slow down to protect endangered right whales from collision. (Associated Press)

Hapag-Lloyd is buying Israel's Zim Integrated Shipping Services for $4.2 billion. The combined business will have a standing capacity

of more than 3 million TEUs and more than 400 vessels, up from Hapag-Lloyd's current 2.5 million TEUs and 305 ships. Israel's "golden share" will be transferred to a carved-out container business.

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Number of the Day Global Trade

Companies navigating new tariffs, sanctions and export controls are looking to hire employees who can help. Experts in a niche field known as trade compliance say this is the moment they have been training for , the WSJ Logistics Report's Liz Young writes in Dow Jones Risk Journal.

Trade-compliance professionals are responsible for making sure companies are following U.S. and international trade laws, from verifying import values and classifying products correctly under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to staying on top of the latest trade restrictions.

Recruiting site Indeed said there were 22% more job postings for trade-compliance officers in December 2025 from a year earlier, and 41% more than December 2019. People in the industry say trade compliance has often historically been regarded as an afterthought in the C-suite. When done well, experts say, the work shields companies from legal exposure and other risks-critical for avoiding fines, penalties or seizures of merchandise.

The Trump administration is weighing an overhaul of steel and aluminum tariffs

that could reduce levies on many consumer goods. (WSJ) The European Union's exports to the U.S. held up

last year despite higher tariffs, but those duties pushed Chinese businesses to new customers in the bloc. (WSJ) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Janice Charette as the nation's next chief trade negotiator with the U.S . (Bloomberg) A bill to scrap a law allowing importers to declare the value of an import

based on the first sale in a supply chain, rather than the final price paid by the importer, was introduced in the Senate. (Sourcing Journal)

In Other News U.S. annual inflation slowed to 2.4%

in January from a year earlier, below expectations, due to declining gasoline and used vehicle prices. (WSJ) Canadian manufacturing activity increased 0.6% in December , driven by motor vehicle and food product sales. (WSJ) Eurozone industrial output fell 1.4% in December , the first contraction since August, primarily due to a slowdown in Germany. (WSJ) Switzerland's economy expanded 0.2% in Q4 2025 , rebounding from a 0.5% contraction in Q3, despite U.S. tariffs. (WSJ) The chairman of Dubai's stock exchange, Essa Kazim, was named chairman of DP World, and the ports operator's CFO Yuvraj Narayan promoted to CEO, replacing Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem

following the release of documents revealing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (WSJ) The Trump administration issued a general license

allowing global oil companies to invest in new Venezuelan oil-and-gas operations. (WSJ) Lowe's said it was eliminating about 600

corporate and support roles. (WSJ) Smithfield Foods plans to build a new $1.3 billion hog slaughterhouse

in Sioux Falls, S.D., its first new facility in decades. (WSJ) Qube Holdings agreed to support a takeover offer

from a consortium led by Macquarie Asset Management that values the Australian logistics operator's equity at $6.51 billion. (WSJ) FedEx is expected to close more than 475 stations , or about 30% of its facility footprint, by the end of 2027 as part of an overhaul plan. (SupplyChainDive) The former CEO of Montgomery Transportation, which shut down last year amid the freight recession, plans to return to the flatbed freight segment with Second Mile Transport by the end of March. (Transport Topics) About Us

Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at [mark.long@wsj.com]. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long , Liz Young and Paul Berger .

This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 17, 2026 07:06 ET (12:06 GMT)

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