Marking two years since the first Red Sea commercial shipping attacks by Yemen-based Houthi terrorists, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has called on the Trump administration to intensify efforts to uphold freedom of navigation globally. The association urged a zero-tolerance policy against threats targeting commercial vessels, given the continued security risks.
AAFA welcomed the administration’s recent designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Though the group released the Galaxy Leader crew earlier in 2025, they have persisted in attacking maritime traffic. The FTO designation strengthens legal mechanisms to disrupt the group’s finances and sends a decisive message that violence against commercial shipping will not be tolerated, AAFA noted.
"We commend your administration’s actions to protect commercial shipping and urge sustained deterrence and robust diplomatic efforts to ensure freedom of navigation worldwide. We applaud the broader efforts taken by the US military and our allies to protect commercial shipping—including defensive and offensive operations, sanctions targeting Houthi resources, sustained diplomacy with regional partners, and courageous naval escorts and rescues," the letter said.
The association also acknowledged diplomatic progress during 2025. Following US-led efforts to broker a Middle East ceasefire, shipping traffic in the Red Sea has risen. On November 04, 2025, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority reported that 229 vessels transited the waterway in October, marking the highest monthly total since attacks began two years ago.
Despite this improvement, AAFA said that threats extend beyond the Red Sea. Shipping remains vulnerable to attacks by Iranian forces and renewed piracy in the region. Rising tensions and aggressive manoeuvres in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, further endanger maritime routes that carry more than one-third of global trade.
"There should be zero tolerance for attacks on commercial shipping, whether in the Red Sea, the Indo-Pacific, or elsewhere. The global economy depends on the free, safe, and reliable movement of vessels across international waters. We greatly appreciate the steps the administration has taken to safeguard commercial shipping and encourage the continued prioritisation of freedom of navigation through deterrence and diplomatic engagement,” said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (HU)
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