U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy - Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

Figure 13.1 Ports Are the Primary Gatewayfor International Trade80%and recreational boating. With the possible exceptionof fishing vessels, all other marine sectors are expectedto continue to show significant growth.Contributions toU.S. International Trade70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%■ ValueWater■ WeightAir Truck Rail PipelineMode of TransportationOtherIn 2001, U.S. ports were major gateways for international trade.Waterborne commerce accounted for 78 percent of total U.S.international trade by weight (1,643 million tons) and 38percent by value ($718 billion).Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation.“U.S. International Trade and Freight Transportation Trends 2003.“ (Accessed May 2004).VesselsShips entering and leaving U.S. ports include a mix offoreign and U.S.-registered vessels, and a broad varietyof vessel types and sizes ranging from large containerships, tankers, and bulk carriers, to medium-sizedbarges, passenger ferries and cruise liners, and smallerfishing and recreational boats. As the number and sizeof vessels increase, additional pressures will be placedon the nation’s ports and waterways. (For a discussionof issues related to vessel safety and environmentalprotection, see Chapter 16.)The vast majority of international trade is carriedon foreign-registered and foreign-crewed vessels thatcan be operated at considerably lower cost than U.S.-registered vessels crewed by U.S. merchant mariners.The top twenty international merchant fleet nationsoperate more than 28,000 vessels worldwide. Whilethe United States is ranked fourteenth, its share of theinternational fleet is only 454 vessels, or about 1percent of the total. In contrast, the domestic U.S.marine fleet numbers more than 30,000 tugboats,towboats, and barges. 5 The domestic fleet is protected from foreign competition in U.S.waters by the Merchant Marine Act, more commonly known as the Jones Act.As international marine commerce has grown, ships have grown in size to accommodateincreased amounts of cargo. The container ships of the 1960s could carry only a few hundredcontainers (commonly measured in 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs). Today, 5,000TEU vessels are quite common, and the largest container vessels can carry more than 8,000TEUs, requiring navigation channels up to 50 feet deep. Bulk cargo ships are also increasingin size. For example, ultra-large crude oil carriers, known as super tankers, are approachinglengths of 1,500 feet and widths of 300 feet, requiring channels deeper than 90 feet. 6The U.S. marine transportation system also moves millions of passengers every yearon cruise liners and ferries. The cruise industry has experienced constant growth worldwidesince 1980. Globally, there were more than nine million cruise passengers with alittle more than 70 percent, or 6.4 million passengers, embarking from U.S. ports in 2002(see Figure 16.1), and 176 U.S. and foreign flag cruise ships operated in the NorthAmerican cruise industry. 7 This annual growth rate of just over 8 percent is expected toincrease as the demand for cruise vacations grows.The 168 U.S. passenger ferries, operating in thirty-five states, transported nearly ninetymillion people for work, leisure, and other purposes in 1999. 8 Continued population growthin coastal metropolitan areas, coupled with increased vehicle traffic on the nation’s highwaysystems, makes commuter passenger-vehicle ferries attractive transportation options for thefuture in selected areas. The U.S. passenger ferry industry has shown consistent growth,largely because coastal municipalities and states have invested in ferry systems to ease highwaycongestion.Shipbuilding and RepairShipbuilding in the United States has historically been considered a strategic industry, supportingboth military and commercial interests. Despite this important domestic role, the194 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY