The Maritime Administration (MARAD) https://www.maritime.dot.gov/ is responsible for America’s waterborne transportation system by promoting this transportation sector and integrating it with other transportation nodes.  It has been part of the Transportation Department since 1981, though its historical origins date back to the 1916 Shipping Act (P.L. 64-260) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-39/pdf/STATUTE-39-Pg728-2.pdf establishing the United States Shipping Board to promote the U.S. Merchant Marine and regulate maritime shipping. 

Laws governing MARAD begin at 49 USC 109 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section109&num=0&edition=prelim and regulations governing it cover 46 CFR 200-399 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-II  Agency responsibilities encompass national security, economic security, maritime security, grants and loans, and environment and innovation.  Examples of data and reports it prepares include U.S. Flagged Privately Owned Fleet as of January 1, 2022 DS_USFlag-Fleet_2022_1_16Bundle.xlsx andThe Economic Importance of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry Microsoft Word – MARAD Econ Study_Final Report.docx (2015).

MARAD’s Fiscal Year 2025 congressional budget request was $859.7 million https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-03/MARAD_FY_2025_CONG_BUDGET-Final.pdf (p. 7) and its personnel workforce request was for 547 (p. 26).  In March 2025 President Trump is expected to issue an Executive Order to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and counter Chinese advances in this arena which will impact MARAD and include a maritime action plan.  https://news.usni.org/2025/03/05/trumps-make-shipbuilding-great-again-order-calls-for-wholesale-overhaul-of-u-s-maritime-industry

This blog post was submitted by Bert Chapman, Purdue University.