What The Ship! Ukraine Grain, Oakland Strike, European Ports, Old Fuel Is The Best & Whale Watching! What's Going on With Shipping? July 26, 2022 In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - former merchant mariner and maritime historian - examines the top 5 maritime stories as of July 26, 2022. First, the impact of the Ukrainian grain deal and the difficulty in clearing the ports before new ships can arrive. Second, the AB5 decision led to a truck driver protest that largely closed the port of Oakland, California. Third, European port congestion, including labor strikes, is tying up empty containers and impacting the movement of boxes from Asia to the United States. Fourth, on January 1, 2022, the International Maritime Organization mandated new fuel standards, unless ships were fitted with scrubbers. But with high fuel costs, the older fuel is much cheaper than the newer fuel. Finally, if you are going to watch whales, you may need a bigger boat.