Marad: More Ships Stopping at U.S. Ports
(Source: U.S. A report released yesterday from the U.S. Maritime Administration shows more ships are stopping at U.S. ports. The stops, or vessel calls, rebounded by 13 percent in 2010, after an eight percent decline in 2009. Oceangoing vessel calls reflect waterborne trade between the United States and countries around the world, and are a measure of import, export and domestic ocean shipments. “Although challenges remain, this encouraging rebound in oceangoing vessels is a sign that President Obama's economic policies are working," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The 2010 Vessel Calls Snapshot report contains data on calls by oceangoing vessels at U.S. ports. In 2010, 7,579 oceangoing vessels made 62,747 calls at U.S. ports.
U.S. Maritime Agreement Could Boost Vietnam’s Economy
A new bilateral U.S.-Vietnamese agreement on maritime services could make the Vietnamese economy more competitive internationally and help Vietnam attract more foreign investment and know-how, U.S. maritime administration officials say. Signed March 15 in Washington, the Bilateral Maritime Agreement gives U.S. shipping service providers broader access to Vietnam’s growing transportation market, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release. “The agreement puts American ship operators on an equal footing in Vietnam, paves the way to forming U.S.-controlled joint ventures, and sets a course to achieve wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in Vietnam,†U.S. Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton said in the release. Under the agreement, U.S.
