The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration recently awarded a research contract to PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC, of New York, to identify factors that significantly impact the ability of U.S.-flagged ship operators transporting goods to remain competitive. Current maritime industry estimates appear to indicate that costs associated with operating these vessels under U.S. registry standards are approximately three times higher than those incurred by the international fleets. The study will include an overview of existing conditions; comparison of the current state of U.S.- and foreign-registered fleets; the identification and evaluation of the factors and costs influencing registry preference from the perspective of U.S. owners of U.S.- and foreign-registered oceangoing vessels engaged in global maritime transportation; and the identification and recommendation of improvements to U.S. policies and regulations that may serve to increase ship-operator participation in the U.S.-flag fleet.