1998 Year of the Ocean The U.S. Marine Transportation System 



THE CURRENT U.S. MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 



The U.S. marine transportation system encompasses a national and global network of 

 navigable ocean, lake, river, and inland waterway routes; the vessels that carry waterbome 

 commerce; a complex of ports and terminals serving as intermodal points of transfer between the 

 water system and the land-based transportation modes; ship operators; an extensive supplier 

 base; and shipboard, shipyard, and longshore labor forces. The system includes over 3,500 bulk 

 oil transfer facilities, 10,000 marinas, 18,000 bridges, a network of locks and dams, and 97,000 

 aids to navigation. Diverse groups of waterway users — commercial vessels making 70,000 port 

 calls annually, 1 1 0,000 fishing vessels, and 20 million recreational vessels — vie for access to our 

 waterways often with conflicting interests and purposes. Additionally, the general public is 

 concerned about the waterways' environmental health and esthetics. 



The Merchant Marine Fleet 



As of October 1, 1997, the U.S. merchant marine — ^the fleet of privately owned, U.S.- 

 registered ships, in foreign and domestic trades — totaled 356 vessels (286 oceangoing ships and 

 70 large Great Lakes vessels) with a capacity of approximately 15 million deadweight tons (dwt). 

 In 1996, approximately 33,000 cargo carrying vessels and 8,000 tugs, ferries, passenger, and 

 supply boats served the inland waterways, Great Lakes, and coastal trades. Overall, the U.S. 

 water transportation industry employs 1 70,000 people on board ships and in supporting shoreside 

 occupations. An additional 34,000 production workers are employed in the major shipyards, and 

 thousands more work in smaller-shipbuilding and ship repair facilities. 



Foreign Trade 



The United States is increasingly enjoying the benefits of growing international trade as 

 trade barriers are eliminated. Currently, trade flows are growing faster than the gross domestic 

 product. In 1996, approximately $590 billion of goods (41 percent of the total value of U.S. 

 foreign trade, and a much larger share by weight), were carried on the ocean and passed through 

 our ports. By comparison, air and overland transportation accounted for 27 and 3 1 percent, 

 respectively, by value. Comparable statistics on the weight of truck, rail, and pipeline traffic 

 between the United States and Canada/Mexico are not available. 



The United States is the world's largest trading nation, accounting for over one billion 

 metric tons or nearly 20 percent of world oceanbome trade. The nine million barrels of oil the 

 United States imports daily, the majority by water, is by far the largest single commodity handled 

 anywhere. In fact, excluding Mexico and Canada, over 95 percent of overseas trade by tonnage is 

 shipped by sea. 



Despite the growth in U.S. foreign trade and numerous promotional programs designed to 

 subsidize U.S. -flag operations, the U.S. maritime industry has struggled to compete effectively in 

 the international shipping market. U.S. -flag ship operators continue to face substantial 

 competition from foreign operators who have achieved equal or better productivity. Foreign 



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