LEXINGTON INSTITUTE SALUTES JONES ACT AS IMPORTANT TO NATIONAL SECURITY: The Jones Act is the “only” hundred-year-old law still critical to U.S. national security in the 21st century according to the Lexington Institute. A July 8 “Early Warning Blog” by Daniel Goure, Ph.D, declares the Jones Act “critical to the maintenance of a shipbuilding and repair industry, and associated skilled workforce to support the U.S. Navy.” He notes that without a flexible pool of skilled workers “the costs to the Navy of its repair and overhaul work would skyrocket.” Dr. Goure further stressed that the “Act’s requirement that vessels engaged in cabotage [the movement of cargo between two points in the United States] be U.S.-flagged and the crews be at least 75 percent U.S. citizens also supports both homeland security and environmental safety.” Click here to read more.
UTILIZATION RATE OF GREAT LAKES FLEET ON THE RISE: With two U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters recently activated, the fleet now has more than 93 percent of its available carrying capacity in service. Iron ore for the steel industry remains the foundation of Great Lakes shipping. Through June, iron ore cargos moved in U.S.-flag “lakers” total 18.3 million tons, an increase of 7.6 percent compared to a year ago.
THREE AMP MEMBERS RECEIVE SAFETY AWARDS: Crowley Maritime Corporation, Keystone Shipping Co., and Liberty Maritime Corporation have been selected to receive prestigious safety awards from American Maritime Safety, Inc. Crowley will receive the Safe Working Practices Award. Keystone will be honored with the Responsible Carrier Award. Liberty will be presented the Quality Ship Management Award. The awards recognize these companies’ commitment to implementing innovative quality control and safety management systems that go beyond the compliance standards established by the U.S. Coast Guard.
STAMPS SALUTING U.S. MERCHANT MARINE AN HONOR WELL DESERVED: The U.S. Postal Service issued a quartet of stamps that depict ships that helped establish the U.S. Merchant Marine as a world leader in innovation and efficiency. The stamps feature a clipper ship, an auxiliary steamship, a Liberty ship and a containership. “This is a proud moment for everyone in the U.S. merchant marine,” said James Henry, President of the Transportation Institute and Chairman of the Board of American Maritime Partnership. “Ships have played a vital role in the development and protection of our nation. It was no accident that one of the first laws passed by Congress focused on fostering a U.S.-flag fleet. Since 1920, the Jones Act has been the foundation of the domestic U.S.-flag fleet and its requirement that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in vessels that are U.S.-owned, -built, and -crewed has produced an industry second to none.” Click here to read more.
American Maritime Partnership ("AMP") is the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry, a pillar of our nation‘s economic, national, and homeland security. More than 40,000 American vessels built in American shipyards and crewed by American mariners ply our waters 24/7, and this commerce sustains nearly 500,000 jobs, $29 billion in labor compensation, and more than $100 billion in annual economic output according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Transportation Institute. So efficient are these vessels that they carry a quarter of the nation‘s cargo for only 2 percent of the national freight bill, and being American owned, built and crewed helps make America more secure.