By Land and By Sea

A 41-page Maritime Action Plan just reframed the future of U.S. shipping, and we dove in the moment it dropped. Lauren welcomes shipbuilding specialist Caitlin Hardy to unpack what’s real, what’s next, and where the biggest leverage points are—from yard financing and mariner pipelines to cargo policy, OEM localization, and Arctic ambitions.

We start with the four pillars and why incentives may finally align shipyards, oper...

Rates may be easing, but the real story is reliability. We open with a change at the Port of New York and New Jersey, where a long-running absenteeism problem finally meets stricter rules—small news on the surface, big implications for crane productivity, truck turns, and vessel planning. Predictable people make predictable ports, and that consistency is the backbone of schedule integrity shippers depend on.

From there, we...

Leadership, enforcement, investment, data, and training all hit the throttle this week—and the supply chain is going to feel it. We kick off with Commissioner Dabella’s rapid move to FMC chair and why that shift matters: the chair sets priorities, drives enforcement tempo, and shapes the agency’s posture on competition and fairness. Pair that with an expanded ALJ bench and shippers, truckers, and carriers can expect faster case mov...

Cargo shouldn’t pick ports based on loopholes. We unpack why a long-ignored gap in the harbor maintenance fee has pushed high-value containers toward Canada and Mexico, and how a renewed push from the Federal Maritime Commission is putting Section 6 of last year’s executive order back on the table. You’ll hear a clear breakdown of what the proposal aims to do—require foreign-origin cargo that first hits North America by vessel to p...

Headlines move cargo now. The FMC has reopened its probe into Spain’s reported port access denials and just raised MSC’s civil penalties to $22.6M, calling months of reefer overcharges a “practice,” not a glitch. We break down what this data‑driven era means for ocean carriers, BCOs, and anyone auditing detention and demurrage, then shift to the Pacific Northwest’s shipbuilding playbook, where serial production, robotics, and grid ...

Ocean shipping conversations often blur the line between alliances and consolidation. This episode breaks down how carrier alliances function in practice, why vessel sharing can improve routing and efficiency, and how ownership changes raise very different competition concerns. Using the ongoing discussion around ZIM as context, we connect market structure, port leadership transitions, and regulatory timing to real-world supply-cha...

🚢 A special By Land and By Sea Podcast episode — and a bittersweet moment in maritime leadership

This week, I had the privilege of sitting down with MARIO CORDERO, who will be retiring this month after leading the Port of Long Beach through some of the most consequential years in supply chain history.

And just this week, the Port announced that Dr. Noel Hacegaba will step in as the next CEO — marking the end of one chapter and the b...

Big policy moves rarely arrive one at a time. We dig into a trio of shifts changing how shippers, carriers, and NVOCCs plan: the FMC’s latest civil penalty settlements, early signs of a safer Suez Canal, and a targeted court decision that trims—but doesn’t topple—the detention and demurrage billing rule. Each story stands on its own, but together they point to a strategic truth: regulatory literacy is becoming a real advantage.

From Buzzards Bay to Beijing — this week was all about maritime strategy in motion.

Lauren recaps highlights from the Second Annual Massachusetts Maritime Strategy Conference, where federal and state leaders worked to align the Commonwealth with other states developing maritime strategies. From workforce pipelines to new ideas like a State House Office of Maritime Affairs, momentum is building.

She also breaks down today’s USTR deadl...

Fresh off the Senate’s Sea Change: Reviving Commercial Shipbuilding hearing this week, Dr. Sal Mercogliano joins us to share everything he didn’t get to say on the record. We unpack his “Ships for America” warning, his proposal for a Maritime Reserves program, and what he hopes to see in the upcoming Maritime Action Plan due November 5. Then we turn to China’s unexpected restraint and what the one-year pause on Section 301 port fee...

Senate hearings meet Arctic geopolitics. This week’s episode breaks down how U.S. maritime nominees outlined plans to rebuild industrial strength and restore competitiveness—while Russia and China formalized their Northern Sea Route partnership, raising questions about access, influence, and the future of global chokepoints.  

Expanded Description:
In this episode of By Land and By Sea, Lauren unpacks two developments shaping t...

Headlines scream trade war, but our radar shows choreography. We unpack how the U.S. Section 301 vessel fees and China’s mirrored port charges operate like a controlled conversation—clear signals with tight guardrails—while cargo keeps moving and markets recalibrate. From exemptions and caps to first-port-only assessments, we trace why this design aims at leverage, not revenue, and how carriers are already adapting without triggeri...

This week’s episode connects the dots between ports, policy, and technology — from new AI cargo safety tools to China’s retaliatory port fees and the U.S.–Finland icebreaker deal. Fresh off the AAPA Annual Convention in Quebec City, Lauren breaks down how smart strategy means more than new tech — it’s about translation, visibility, and human insight.

Expanded Description:

In this week’s episode of By Land and By Sea, The Maritime Pro...

If you’ve ever wondered how “90% of everything” actually reaches your doorstep, this conversation pulls back the curtain. I’m joined by Carl Bentzel—former FMC Commissioner and now Executive Director of the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE)—to explain what terminal operators really do, why they’re the hub of the entire logistics ecosystem, and where U.S. ports must evolve to stay competitive without breaking the d...

🎧 Short Summary 

Shipyards sit at the very heart of America’s maritime future, operating as both industrial engines and strategic assets essential to national security. In this conversation with Caitlin Hardy, Founder of Ness Sea Consulting, we explore the challenges and opportunities in rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding capacity, the lessons commercial yards can teach defense programs, and the innovations shaping maritime construction....

Season 5 of By Land and By Sea continues with a Captain’s Log edition—a fast, plain-language rundown of the biggest moves reshaping U.S. maritime policy and global shipping.

The maritime landscape is being reshaped through deliberate U.S. policy shifts targeting China's global port network, the United States implementing new vessel fees, WSC addressing container ship safety, expanding mariner credentialing, and combating cargo ...

Season 5 kicks off with Acting Maritime Administrator Sang Yi, bringing his merchant marine background, Navy Reserve service, and policy expertise to MARAD at a pivotal time. We discuss the success of the NSMV/VCM program, the rebirth of Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and how innovation and tradition can move together in U.S. maritime. With new FMC nominees, billions in shipbuilding investment, and the Maritime Action Plan deadline on Nov...

🚢 By Land and By Sea Podcast – an attorney breaking down the week in supply chain
🎙️ Captain’s Log – “Season Finale: Maritime Voices, Industry Debates, and What’s Next”
🗓️ Week of July 26, 2025

The Maritime Professor® presents By Land and By Sea Podcast – an attorney breaking down the week in supply chain
with Lauren Beagen (Founder of The Maritime Professor® and Squall Strategies®)

Before we go on summer break, I’m...

🚢 By Land and By Sea Podcast – an attorney breaking down the week in supply chain
🎙️ Captain’s Log – “Trade Turbulence and Tech Advances”
🗓️ Week of July 11, 2025

The Maritime Professor® presents By Land and By Sea Podcast – an attorney breaking down the week in supply chain
with Lauren Beagen (Founder of The Maritime Professor® and Squall Strategies®)

This week, I’m unpacking:

🔹 Chinese c...