Against the current market backdrop, compelling investment ideas in shipping are in short supply.  In addition to our usual market musings, we will start offering up our thoughts on where we see opportunities to smartly deploy capital in shipping, including some that are a little bit off the beaten path.

Earlier this week, Heidmar Maritime Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: HMR) purchased the “feeder” container ship A. Obelix from Capital Maritime Management (Capital).

A U.S. shipyard hasn't produced a new MR product tanker since 2017. But that’s all about to change with the SHIPS for America Act’s revitalization of the American shipbuilding sector, right?

In one week, the U.S. domestic shipping industry had two major mergers and acquisitions (M&A) headlines.

In the cases of both EHLD and CMBT, the acquirer took control of the board of directors, and with it, gained the ability to appoint their own management teams and chart the company’s course going forward.

The past year’s renewed focus on bolstering American shipbuilding capacity inspired a slew of shipping deals and investments. Interestingly, the most active players came from outside of the U.S., looking to U.S. taxpayers to foot the shipbuilding bill.  

Marine Money Week 2025 was, as always, the singular occasion in shipping to reconnect with global friends in the industry and synthesize perspectives on shipping’s next big area of opportunity–U.S. shipping stood out this year.

Numerous articles describe how current steel import tariffs could raise the cost of cars and homes. But not much attention has been given to their impact on shipbuilding costs.

Beginning in April 2029, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will enforce a requirement that 1% of all liquified natural gas (LNG) exports from the U.S. be shipped aboard a U.S.-built LNG carrier. The U.S. hasn’t built an LNG carrier in nearly 50 years. 

Stating the obvious: the U.S. wants more American-built ships. Less obvious: how many ships can America’s biggest shipyards build? 

James Lightbourn, founder of Cavalier Shipping, cited in The New York Times' May 27, 2025 article on U.S. shipbuilding.

Much of U.S. shipping’s newfound attention has rightly focused on the shipbuilding sector. For every new ship ordered, someone has to finance construction costs.

If you’re a shipping company that uses a Chinese leasing structure to finance your fleet but otherwise has no ties to China, what are you to do under the U.S. Trade Representative’s proposed measures?

Savvy shipowners could participate in both the SHIPS for America Act and Title XI to bring the effective cost of building ships in the U.S. down considerably.

James Lightbourn is featured in TradeWinds’ 25 New Faces list, as one of the people they’ve picked as “shipping’s next generation news makers and market movers.”

On April 30, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) and Congressmen Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) and John Garamendi (D-CA-8) reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act, potentially reshaping U.S. maritime policy, backed by US taxpayer dollars.

The shipping industry’s core purpose is to facilitate global trade of commodities. While freight rates are a revenue item for shipowners, they are an expense item for commodity movers. 

James Lightbourn will speak on a panel at the two-day Bahamas Business and Investment Forum, hosted by the Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, which begins on Monday, May 29 in NYC.

You’ve probably heard this one before: An economist and his friend are walking down the street when they see a $20 bill lying on the ground. The friend bends down to pick it up but the economist says, “Don’t bother. If it were real, someone would have already picked it up.”

With current uncertainty around global trade given the U.S. administration’s policy disruptions, now seems like an odd time for a shipping company to pursue a public listing in New York.