The following press release was issued by American Maritime Partnership.
Navigistics Consulting, a Maritime industry consulting and market analysis firm, examined the real-world effects of the current (150-day) blanket Jones Act waiver – put in place by the Trump Administration – on the U.S. economy, energy security, and domestic maritime workforce.
The findings add new weight to growing calls from American mariners, labor groups, and maritime industry advocates urging the Administration to end the waiver and restore an America-first maritime policy that prioritizes U.S.-flagged vessels, U.S. carriers, and U.S. mariners.
An analysis of the report can be viewed here: https://www.americanmaritimepartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Navigistics-Analysis-Overview.pdf.
Key findings from the report include:
* No Military Necessity – Of the 78 waiver voyages documented in the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) June 1 report, not one met the only legal standard required to justify a Jones Act waiver. Every movement involved commercial-grade materials incompatible with DoD fuel requirements.
* U.S. Ships Were Available and Ready – American vessels were available for 86.5% of qualifying voyages. The waiver wasn’t a necessity, it was a choice that bypassed a ready and willing U.S. fleet.
* The Waiver Is Handing Cargo to China – Foreign-flag vessels built in China (23.1%) and under Chinese control (18.5%) are now moving American domestic cargo that U.S. ships were available to carry – opening domestic shipping lanes to foreign competitors at a moment of heightened national security concern.
* Gas Prices Haven’t Moved – An 11-week analysis found no credible evidence of price relief at the pump. In several routes, Jones Act vessels were actually cheaper than their foreign-flag counterparts. Meanwhile, only ~6.5% of U.S. gasoline is transported on vessels. American consumers are paying the price for a policy that isn’t delivering what was promised.
* America Was Exporting Fuel During the Alleged Shortage – While the waiver was justified as a response to domestic supply strain, the U.S. exported approximately 731 million barrels of petroleum – with crude, diesel, and jet fuel all up from prior years. Refiners were making commercial choices, not responding to a crisis.
The report draws on MARAD data covering 659 commodities and 78 voyages during the waiver’s opening weeks.
“This analysis confirms what American mariners have been saying for months: this waiver is not delivering for consumers, it is not justified by military necessity, and its handing American cargo to foreign fleets at the expense of U.S. shipyards, U.S. carriers, and the American workforce we depend on for national security,” said Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. “Every day this waiver continues, we are trading away decades of investment in our domestic maritime industrial base for a policy that the data shows isn’t achieving its stated purpose. It’s time to end the waver and recommit to the America first policy that puts the U.S. mariners and U.S. vessels first.”
With the waiver’s current extension set to expire on August 17, American mariners, labor groups, and maritime advocates are urging Congress and the Administration to let the waiver expire and ensure it is not extended again.
The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) is the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry. More than 45,000 American vessels built in American shipyards, crewed by American mariners, and owned by American companies, operate in our waters 24-hours a day, seven days a week. This commerce sustains nearly 650,000 American jobs, $41.6 billion in labor compensation, and more than $154.8 billion in annual economic output. Learn more by visiting www.americanmaritimepartnership.com.
The following letter was sent to President Donald Trump on June 30.
Dear Mr. President:
We appreciate your longstanding support and attention to the challenges facing our domestic shipping industry. We write to respectfully request that the current Jones Act waiver be allowed to expire as scheduled on August 16, 2026, and encourage you to utilize alternative policy tools to address fuel and fertilizer costs while preserving the strength of the American maritime industry.
As you outlined in your visionary Maritime Action Plan (MAP), a strong maritime industrial base is essential to the nation’s economic and national security, particularly as the United States works to reinforce its global strategic position. Your acknowledgement in the MAP that less than one percent of new commercial ships are built in the United States underscores the importance of protecting durable domestic maritime policy and safeguarding against foreign encroachment in our nation’s waterways.
Our nation’s strongest shield against foreign exploitation of American waterways is the Jones Act, which requires vessels transporting cargo between U.S. ports to be American-built, American-owned, American-crewed, and American-flagged. As with similar laws governing other modes of transportation, the Jones Act ensures that domestic waterborne commerce is conducted by U.S. vessels and mariners rather than by heavily subsidized foreign competitors. Over time, it has helped sustain a safe and reliable commercial fleet, supporting hundreds of thousands of well-paying American maritime jobs and moving more than 760 million tons of domestic cargo each year, including agricultural products, petroleum, steel, coal, and other essential commodities.
At the same time, the domestic maritime industry is deeply concerned about the length, scope, and possible extension of the current Jones Act waiver, which was issued in part to address increases in fuel and fertilizer prices. In practice, foreign-flagged vessels have operated under the waiver even in circumstances where U.S.-flagged vessels were available, creating understandable concern about the effect on American jobs, manufacturing, and investment. According to data from the Maritime Administration, approximately 95 percent of completed waiver voyages primarily benefit foreign maritime operators that do not pay U.S. taxes or comply with U.S. immigration laws.
In short, the Jones Act waiver has become a loophole exploited by adversarial countries to erode America’s maritime dominance. For these reasons, we respectfully request that you allow the waiver to expire on August 16, 2026.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We stand ready to support your continued efforts to strengthen American economic and maritime dominance.
Sincerely,
James Comer, Chairman, House Oversight Committee
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House
Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader
Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann, Member of Congress
Randy K. Weber, Sr., Member of Congress
Aaron Bean, Member of Congress
John H. Rutherford, Member of Congress
Robert J. Wittman, Member of Congress
Jen A. Kiggans, Member of Congress
Andy Harris, M.D., Member of Congress
Christopher H. Smith, Member of Congress
Nicole Malliotakis, Member of Congress
Michael V. Lawler, Member of Congress
Nick LaLota, Member of Congress
Mary E. Miller, Member of Congress
Andrew R. Garbarino, Member of Congress
Michael Guest, Member of Congress
Clay Higgins, Member of Congress
Julia Letlow, Ph.D., Member of Congress
Mike Rogers, Member of Congress
Robert B. Aderholt, Member of Congress
Dale W. Strong, Member of Congress
David Kustoff, Member of Congress
Brett Guthrie, Member of Congress
Andy Barr, Member of Congress
Carol D. Miller, Member of Congress
Kat Cammack, Member of Congress
Mark B. Messmer, Member of Congress
Eric A. “Rick” Crawford, Member of Congress
Daniel Webster, Member of Congress
Brian Babin, D.D.S., Member of Congress
David Rouzer, Member of Congress
Mike Bost, Member of Congress
Brian J. Mast, Member of Congress
Pete Stauber, Member of Congress
Tim Burchett, Member of Congress
Jefferson Van Drew, Member of Congress
Mike Ezell, Member of Congress
Jefferson Shreve, Member of Congress
David J. Taylor, Member of Congress
Jimmy Patronis, Member of Congress
Jack Bergman, Member of Congress
Mike Collins, Member of Congress
Harold Rogers, Member of Congress
Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., Member of Congress
Erin Houchin, Member of Congress
Max L. Miller, Member of Congress
David P. Joyce, Member of Congress
Darin LaHood, Member of Congress
Scott DesJarlais, M.D., Member of Congress
Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Member of Congress
The AMO monthly membership meeting originally scheduled for September 9 will now be held on Wednesday, September 2 due to scheduling conflicts. The meeting on September 2 will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at AMO headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla. in the second-floor auditorium.
Graeme Holman, director of operations at STAR Center, shows off the engine simulator to cadets from Maine Maritime and Texas A&M Maritime academies.
More than 50 cadets from Maine Maritime Academy and Texas A&M University Maritime Academy visited Port Everglades during their summer cruise on TS State of Maine in June and made a pit stop at STAR Center to get a glimpse of their potential futures with American Maritime Officers.
Union and STAR Center officials hosted the group in two days of tours of the world-renowned training facilities and the union headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla. Cadets, many of them juniors and seniors, were amazed at the advanced technology and training options at STAR Center and that it is a free of charge benefit included with active AMO membership.
“Sometimes we take for granted just how much of an advantage STAR Center is for us and the training we have access to,” said AMO East Coast Boarding Representative Marissa Cap, who helped set up the tours. “We have world-class facilities that produce world-class mariners and that really resonates when young people get to see that.”
The visit comes on the heels of a successful recruiting season at maritime academy graduations across the country for AMO, where many of the 1,250 graduating cadets have chosen to join AMO.
AMO Rep. Marissa Cap and Dispatcher Roy Emrick greet cadets at Port Everglades on their way to tour STAR Center in June.
AMO Boarding Rep. Marissa Cap welcomes cadets and explains the benefits of joining AMO, including free access to the world-renowned STAR Center training facility.
Director of Engineering Allen Howard demonstrates all the fun “toys” and equipment AMO members get to learn on in the STAR Center machine shop.
Cadets were amazed to learn that STAR Center and AMO members have access to train on their own shooting range and fire fields.
TS State of Maine visited Port Everglades during the summer cruise session in June.
MV Pacific Collector returns to the West Coast from another successful voyage in May before a scheduled shipyard period. American Maritime Officers members aboard the Tote Services vessel included (L-R) Deck Dept: Trevor Cardin, Brandon Swick, Sean Furlanic, Mylan Jarrett and John Stencil. With them is AMO West Coast Boarding Representative Alex Butler.
Engine Dept: Clive Steward, Trenton Silvers, Olin Johnson, Ryan Smith and Calvin Fear.
Tanker Torm Thunder, here in Singapore, is a chemical product tanker operated by Eco-tanker Crew Management for Fairwater Tanker Management and is enlisted in the Tanker Security Program, providing reliable fuel services for the U.S. military around the world. All licensed officers on the vessel are represented by American Maritime Officers.
Captain Aaron Findley and Chief Engineer Robert Ring take a moment to smile for the camera on the Torm Thunder.
Third Assistant Engineer Dave Reilly and an AB making sure items are secure on the deck of Torm Thunder.
Second A.E. Mitch Farley enjoys a brisk ride to shore while the Thunder sits at anchor in Singapore.
Second Mate Kenny Hallis shows a Kings Point cadet how it’s done on the bridge of the Torm Thunder.
Chief Engineer Josh Elwell tests his size up against the Thunder at drydock.
Class is in session as First A. E. Jonny Ware and Third A.E. Hunter Brown talk over engine systems in front of an attentive TECH Program Apprentice and Kings Point cadet riding aboard the Torm Thunder.
TECH Program Apprentice Emily Whitlow picked up valuable, hands-on knowledge on the Torm Thunder in Singapore.
TECH Apprentice Rob White
Views don’t get much better than this one from the Torm Thunder leaving the Far East.
We stand corrected! Breathtaking views are the norm for the U.S. Merchant Marine.
The following is the report of the Credentials Committee for the 2026 AMO Election of National Officers. The report was finalized, as noted, on June 15, and verified signatures of all members of the committee had been received by June 24.
AMO NATIONAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS TO NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Pursuant to Article XI of the AMO National Constitution, the undersigned Credentials Committee was elected at the Regular Membership Meeting held on June 10, 2026. The Committee convened at 1430 on June 10, 2026.
At the meeting Brother Glenn Macario was elected Chairman by the Committee. After reviewing the letters and documents the Committee prepared a draft of the Report of the Credentials Committee at 1007 on June 11, 2026. After contact with three (3) nominees who each declined their nominations, the report was finalized on June 15, 2026.
The Committee reviewed all twenty (20) of the Nominations addressed to it. On June 12, three (3) nominees declined their nominations. The following seventeen (17) individuals nominated themselves or were nominated by others for the following positions:
A) NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
1. Nominated for AMO National President:
Willie Barrere – Card No. 332B – QUALIFIED
John Clemons – Card No. C431 – QUALIFIED
Kevin Stith – Card No. 589S – QUALIFIED
2. Nominated for AMO National Secretary-Treasurer:
John Giles – Card No. 321G – QUALIFIED
Robert “Bob” Lee Rice, Jr. – Card No. R331 – QUALIFIED
Douglas Voss – Card No. 194V – QUALIFIED
3. Nominated for AMO National Executive Vice-President:
Carl Broekhuis – Card No. B512 – QUALIFIED
Peter Brown – Card No. B674 – QUALIFIED
Daniel Robichaux – Card No. R242 – QUALIFIED
B) DEEP SEA
4. Nominated for AMO National Vice President:
David Capozello – Card No. C460 – QUALIFIED
Jeff Richards – Card No. R264 – QUALIFIED
C) INLAND WATERS
5. Nominated for AMO National Vice President:
Joe Brown – Card No. 560B – QUALIFIED
Clifton Sawyer – Card No. S702 – QUALIFIED
D) GREAT LAKES
6. Nominated for AMO National Vice President
James Beland – Card No. B505 – QUALIFIED
Peter Kinsey – Card No. 379K – QUALIFIED
Justin Von Sprecken – Card No. 200V -QUALIFIED
E) GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
7. Nominated for AMO National Vice President
T. Christian Spain – Card No. 520S – QUALIFIED AND ELECTED
The Credentials Committee checked the membership status of all Nominees who did not decline their nominations and found them to be in order. The Committee also checked the records pertaining to the required employment time and found them to be in order. Therefore, any unopposed Nominees listed above were found QUALIFIED and/or ELECTED as noted by the Committee.
The positions, National President, National Secretary Treasurer, National Executive Vice President, National Vice Presidents Deep Sea, Inland Waters, and Great Lakes have more than one (1) Candidate for the position and an Election shall be conducted, therefore, as provided in Article XI, Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the AMO National Constitution.
National Vice President Government Relations has only one (1) Candidate for the office and an Election shall NOT be conducted, therefore, as provided in Article XI, Section 2(g).
Respectfully submitted this 15th day of June, 2026,
__________________________________________
Glenn Macario, Card No. 440M, Chairman
__________________________________________
Peter Maes, Card No. M700, Member
__________________________________________
Eddibierto Marquez, Card No. M726, Member
__________________________________________
Rohan Samuels, Card No. S545, Member
__________________________________________
Alfred Warmbier, Card No. 371W, Member
Graduated cadets from United States Merchant Marine Academy flooded an are dedicated for joining up with American Maritime Officers after commencement in June.
The following press release was issued by American Maritime Partnership on June 24.
The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry, proudly congratulates the more than 1,250 graduates from America’s maritime academies who make up the Class of 2026. However, as these graduates enter the workforce, the Trump Administration has waived the Jones Act for almost 150 days, a policy that threatens to reduce opportunities for newly credentialed mariners and jeopardizes the very industry prepared to employ them.
“We are proud of these men and women who have dedicated years of rigorous study and sea time to join America’s maritime workforce,” said Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. “The Jones Act creates family-wage careers that these graduates have trained for while supporting the safe and reliable delivery of cargo Americans depend on. Extending the Jones Act waiver threatens those careers, weakens American maritime dominance, and shifts opportunities from American mariners to foreign carriers.”
The 2026 graduates hail from the seven maritime academies in the United States: the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, N.Y.), State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College (Fort Schuyler, N.Y.), Cal Poly Maritime Academy (Vallejo, Calif.), Great Lakes Maritime Academy (Traverse City, Mich.), Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, Maine), Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) and Texas A&M Maritime Academy (Galveston, Texas).
Following graduation, many will serve aboard vessels in the domestic fleet, which consists of more than 45,000 vessels, including container ships, freighters, tankers, offshore supply vessels, dredges, tugboats and towboats. Others will contribute their skills to U.S. shipbuilding and repair yards, helping design and construct the next generation of American vessels. Additionally, some will serve in uniform, joining the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, or other branches of the military.
However, without the Jones Act, the vessels these graduates are trained to operate would be replaced by foreign ships crewed by foreign mariners, sending jobs, investment and maritime expertise overseas while weakening America’s ability to strengthen its own maritime workforce and sealift capacity.
Graduates of the U.S. merchant marine academies must pass a rigorous U.S. Coast Guard examination process, including three days of testing and mastery of complex technical knowledge. Their training combines classroom learning with hands-on experience aboard training ships like the new U.S.-built National Security Multi-Mission Vessels, or commercial vessels operating under the U.S. flag. This American commitment to our deep sea, Great Lakes and inland waterways has reduced the likelihood of incidents for over 100 years and counting.
This graduating class of 2026 is exactly the workforce the Trump Administration has said it wants to grow. President Trump’s 2026 Maritime Action Plan explicitly calls for expanding mariner training and education, investing in state maritime academies, and building the pipeline of American mariners needed for the nation’s maritime resurgence. Extending the Jones Act waiver works directly against those stated priorities.
For more information about the domestic maritime industry and scholarships available for those pursuing a maritime career, please click here.
To speak out against the ongoing waiver of the Jones Act, please click here.
More than 40 graduating Kings Point cadets signed on with AMO immediately after graduation.
One of the components of the tunnel boring machine is loaded onto ARC independence in Belgium.
Cargo big or small, the U.S. Merchant Marine delivers it all.
And deliveries don’t come much bigger than the gigantic tunnel boring machine ferried across the Atlantic Ocean for the Hudson Tunnel Project by American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) Independence in May.
This was the second tunnel boring machine delivered by ARC for the $16 billion infrastructure project, with the MV Endurance delivering the first of the nearly 1,700-ton machines in January.
American Maritime Officers represents all the licensed positions aboard the ARC Independence and MV Endurance.
Both boring machines will be used to construct a new two-track rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, as well as support the rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnels – an essential rail link between New Jersey and Manhattan that has been in service for over a century. Once operational, the two TBMs will work in tandem, simultaneously excavating the new tunnel tubes.
ARC Independence loaded the custom machine in Belgium and successfully navigated nearly 3,700 nautical miles before discharge in Port of Baltimore.
ARC’s role in the Hudson Tunnel Project underscores the importance of U.S.-flag shipping in delivering the specialized, heavy, and time-sensitive cargo required to build and modernize the nation’s most complex infrastructure. Specifically rated for cargo loads up to 240 metric tons, the ARC Independence is equipped with oversized drive lanes and door clearances that support the efficient roll-on/roll-off transport of tunnel boring machine components.
“The Hudson Tunnel Project is a vital investment in the resilience of the Northeast Corridor,” said Chris Barber, ARC Group Senior Director, Cargo Preference Sales. “ARC’s end-to-end logistics capabilities ensure that critical project components move seamlessly from origin to job site, keeping major infrastructure timelines like these on track. As a U.S.-flag Ro-Ro carrier, ARC is proud to deliver oversized and mission-critical cargo that supports infrastructure projects essential to the nation’s economic security.”
The 1,680-ton tunnel boring machine is one of two delivered by ARC vessels for the Hudson Tunnel Project.
The following press release was issued by the United States Coast Guard on June 16.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) has made substantial progress in reducing the backlog of applications resulting from the 2026 lapse in appropriations. As a result of sustained recovery efforts and increased production capacity, the NMC is updating its published processing timeline outlined in Resumption of Services announcement, dated May 4, 2026.
Effective immediately, complete applications are expected to be processed within 8 months from the date received, an improvement from the previously published estimate of 8-12 months. This improvement reflects expanded production efforts, overtime, surge processing, workflow efficiencies, and the reallocation of personnel and resources to reduce the backlog inventory accumulated during the lapse.
While application volumes remain elevated, current trends indicate continued progress toward restoring more normal processing timelines. Mariners and maritime employers should continue to plan accordingly and submit applications early to avoid potential disruptions to employment and vessel operations.
Key Information:
* Applications will continue to be processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Only applications demonstrating a clear and documented nexus to national defense will be considered for expedited processing.
* Mariners are strongly encouraged to apply early, up to 8 months before expiration, via the ASAP Tool to account for unforeseen delays. Mariner credential renewals may also be post-dated up to 8 months, allowing mariners to renew early. Paper and incomplete submissions may delay issuance.
The NMC remains committed to further improving processing times while maintaining the safety, security, and professional standards of the U.S. merchant mariner credentialing system.
Mariners are encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations, and policy adjustments as operations stabilize.
For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, by , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections