<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>The expansion of the US manufacturing sector could drive up demand for project cargo logistics, including heavy-haul trucking and inland waterway transport. </p></div>

The expansion of the US manufacturing sector could drive up demand for project cargo logistics, including heavy-haul trucking and inland waterway transport.

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<div class="phx-topic"><p>New Orleans — As part of a push to grow the domestic manufacturing sector, the US is forging ahead on a maritime initiative that would include tax incentives for domestic shipbuilding and port infrastructure investments, an executive for the US International Trade Administration (ITA) told attendees this week at the American Association of Port Authorities Conference (AAPA). </p><p>Andrew Farquharson, the ITA’s deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing industry and analysis, told attendees that although over 80% of global trade is conducted by ships at sea, the US produces less than 1% of those vessels.  </p><p>“I think there’s real recognition from the administration that we need to be doing significantly more of that shipbuilding and all the ancillary services in the US,” Farquharson said. </p><p>He cited the US Maritime Action Plan (MAP), an initiative the Trump administration <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trump-administration-unveils-us-maritime-revitalization-action-plan-6169752">unveiled in February</a> as a roadmap for revitalizing the domestic maritime sector. </p><p>The objectives outlined in the plan include rebuilding domestic shipbuilding capacity, expanding workforce training, strengthening the maritime industrial base, and recommending military and trade actions as national and economic security measures. </p><p>The plan also includes proposals to grow the fleet of US-built and flagged vessels and to scale back regulations governing trade. </p><p>“The president and this administration are extremely focused on removing barriers to doing business in the United States,” Farquharson said.  </p><h3>Manufacturing growth could drive project cargo demand </h3><p>The expansion of the US manufacturing sector could drive up demand for project cargo logistics, including heavy-haul trucking and inland waterway transport.  </p><p>The US plan also calls for investments in heavy-lift infrastructure at US shipyards to support shipbuilding efforts through the addition and modernization of drydocks, heavy-lift and gantry cranes to support higher-rate production and large hull handling. </p><p>But developing the maritime infrastructure to support the buildout could also have repercussions for the multipurpose/heavy-lift (MPV-HL) fleet, as the Trump administration seeks to fund these developments through fees on foreign-built vessels, and much of the MPV-HL fleet is built in China. </p><p>The administration’s bid to expand the US industrial base hinges on the establishment of a Maritime Security Trust Fund to underwrite these plans. A potential revenue source for this fund could come from fees on foreign-built commercial vessels. </p><p>Part of the MAP strategy involves establishing “Maritime Prosperity Zones” — federally designated waterfront regions where private developers could receive tax incentives for investing in shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and the maritime workforce. The zones are modeled after the “Opportunity Zone” concept Trump established during his first term. </p><p>“Opportunity Zones came about with the thought process that there are underserved areas in the United States, and the best way to drive capital investment into those areas would be to provide tax incentive dollars,” Farquharson said. </p><p>Whereas the previous iteration of these zones included incentives only for investments in shipyards or ports, the current recommendation expands the eligibility to include supply chain entities, workforce development, and educational institutions. </p><p>Farquharson said he expects the Maritime Prosperity Zones and other efforts to expand the US maritime industrial base to advance further over the next year and a half.  </p><p>“This isn’t going away. This is something that’s very top of mind for the administration,” he said.  </p><p><i>Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at </i><a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com"><i>autumn@autumngiusti.com</i></a><i>.</i> </p></div>

New Orleans — As part of a push to grow the domestic manufacturing sector, the US is forging ahead on a maritime initiative that would include tax incentives for domestic shipbuilding and port infrastructure investments, an executive for the US International Trade Administration (ITA) told attendees this week at the American Association of Port Authorities Conference (AAPA). Andrew Farquharson, the ITA’s deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing industry and analysis, told attendees that although over 80% of global trade is conducted by ships at sea, the US produces less than 1% of those vessels. “I think there’s real recognition from the administration that we need to be doing significantly more of that shipbuilding and all the ancillary services in the US,” Farquharson said. He cited the US Maritime Action Plan (MAP), an initiative the Trump administration unveiled in February as a roadmap for revitalizing the domestic maritime sector. The objectives outlined in the plan include rebuilding domestic shipbuilding capacity, expanding workforce training, strengthening the maritime industrial base, and recommending military and trade actions as national and economic security measures. The plan also includes proposals to grow the fleet of US-built and flagged vessels and to scale back regulations governing trade. “The president and this administration are extremely focused on removing barriers to doing business in the United States,” Farquharson said. Manufacturing growth could drive project cargo demand The expansion of the US manufacturing sector could drive up demand for project cargo logistics, including heavy-haul trucking and inland waterway transport. The US plan also calls for investments in heavy-lift infrastructure at US shipyards to support shipbuilding efforts through the addition and modernization of drydocks, heavy-lift and gantry cranes to support higher-rate production and large hull handling. But developing the maritime infrastructure to support the buildout could also have repercussions for the multipurpose/heavy-lift (MPV-HL) fleet, as the Trump administration seeks to fund these developments through fees on foreign-built vessels, and much of the MPV-HL fleet is built in China. The administration’s bid to expand the US industrial base hinges on the establishment of a Maritime Security Trust Fund to underwrite these plans. A potential revenue source for this fund could come from fees on foreign-built commercial vessels. Part of the MAP strategy involves establishing “Maritime Prosperity Zones” — federally designated waterfront regions where private developers could receive tax incentives for investing in shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and the maritime workforce. The zones are modeled after the “Opportunity Zone” concept Trump established during his first term. “Opportunity Zones came about with the thought process that there are underserved areas in the United States, and the best way to drive capital investment into those areas would be to provide tax incentive dollars,” Farquharson said. Whereas the previous iteration of these zones included incentives only for investments in shipyards or ports, the current recommendation expands the eligibility to include supply chain entities, workforce development, and educational institutions. Farquharson said he expects the Maritime Prosperity Zones and other efforts to expand the US maritime industrial base to advance further over the next year and a half. “This isn’t going away. This is something that’s very top of mind for the administration,” he said. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

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