USA Maritime
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| Formation | Circa. 2010 |
|---|---|
| Type | Coalition |
| Purpose | Advocate for American ship operators, maritime labor organizations and related maritime associations |
| Location | |
Region served | United States |
Chair | Brian Schoeneman |
| Website | usamaritime |
USA Maritime is a coalition of American ship operators, maritime labor organizations and related maritime associations. The purpose of the coalition is to educate policy makers, the media, and the public about the U.S. merchant marine and the importance of the U.S. maritime industry to the military, economy, and homeland security of the United States.
The U.S. Maritime Administration utilizes a cargo preference program to maintain a viable fleet of U.S.-flagged ships operated by trained American sailors, also known as the merchant marine.
According to the Maritime Administration, the maintenance of militarily useful vessels and trained merchant seamen in peacetime provides an essential sealift capability which has been frequently called on by U.S. armed forces in times of war and in times of national emergency.[1]
U.S. merchant sailors and carriers served in every major U.S. wartime effort including the Revolutionary War, World War II,[2] and Iraq. On July 7, 2010, the USA Maritime Coalition submitted a letter to the Honorable David T. Matsuda in support of the required application of the Cargo Preference Act of 1954.