The U.S. maritime industry will continue to be pivotal in meeting America’s economic and security requirements in 2015. Yet despite our nation’s history of deep reliance on crucial maritime services, the past several years have seen different segments of the domestic maritime industry struggle to navigate critical junctures. That’s why the Maritime Administration is developing a National Maritime Strategy — an endeavor to define and implement fundamental actions to fortify every element of the U.S. maritime industry.
Last year, as part of this initiative, Marad engaged more than 600 maritime stakeholders — including vessel owners/operators, port authorities, labor leaders, shippers and policy experts — during two National Maritime Strategy Symposiums held at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. While challenging, we fostered a constructive dialogue focusing on growing the U.S.-flag fleet operating in international trade and ensuring future successes of domestic shipping, U.S. ports and U.S. shipyards.
Marad documented, analyzed and organized this industrywide input before providing the material to our federal advisory committee for further evaluation and prioritization. After receiving the committee’s final determinations in late 2014 and engaging other government interagency stakeholders, Marad began drafting an overarching blueprint to inform the U.S. Congress, federal departments and agencies on actionable items necessary to invigorate and chart a sustainable course for the U.S. maritime industry.
It is our hope that with the triggering of implementation later this year, the National Maritime Strategy will begin steering our domestic and international maritime industries toward a more responsive and durable model. This work, combined with completion of the cargo preference rule-making, will broaden possibilities for the U.S.-flag fleet, expand marine highway services, maintain the critical strategic asset that is the U.S. Merchant Marine, and ensure the United States’ robust future as a maritime nation.
Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration