Today the U.S. domestic maritime industry – comprised of more than 40,000 vessels built in American shipyards, crewed by American mariners, and owned by American companies – sent a letter to new U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx congratulating him on his confirmation and pledging to work with him to grow the maritime industry for the purpose of economic growth, as well as national and homeland security.
The text of the letter reads as follows:
Dear Secretary Foxx,
The men and women who power the American domestic maritime industry would like to congratulate you on your confirmation as the seventeenth U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Our industry has been grateful for your strong expression of support throughout your confirmation process and we look forward to fostering a positive relationship.
As our nation has grown, our transportation network has kept pace by constantly expanding and evolving to more efficiently move cargo and passengers between U.S. ports as well as along our coasts and inland waterways. The 40,000-plus vessels built in American shipyards and crewed by American mariners play a critical role in this network. Ours is a proud industry that helps supply, feed, fuel, move, and defend the nation.
American maritime is an economic powerhouse and is responsible for more than 500,000 jobs and more than $100 billion of annual economic output, including in your home state ports of Wilmington and Morehead City. Cutting-edge technologies are helping the industry improve upon its already impressive record of efficiently transporting more than 25 percent of domestic cargo at a fraction of the price of other transportation modes. The domestic maritime industry also is a leader in safety, adhering to some of the highest marine standards in the world set by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping.
The American maritime industry is a critical piece of the nation’s economic, national and homeland security, and we look forward to working with you to continue this important role.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Allegretti
Chairma