AWO Joins AFPM in Petition for Review of EPA's Waiver for CARB Commercial Harbor Craft Rule. On March 11, AWO joined the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) in petitioning for review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's waiver authorizing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to enforce the majority of its Commercial Harbor Craft (CHC) Rule. The petition was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, with a protective filing also filed in the Ninth Circuit in case that is determined to be the proper venue. The AWO Board of Directors approved AWO's participation in this litigation.

EPA's waiver was issued on January 10, in the final two weeks of the Biden Administration, by the agency's Acting Administrator. The Clean Air Act allows California to request waivers from EPA to enforce emissions rules for on-road and off-road vehicles that are more stringent than federal standards, which can then be adopted by other states. AFPM, a trade association representing manufacturers of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other fuels and petrochemicals, is petitioning for review of a number of EPA waivers for CARB rules. AFPM has stated that it opposes these waivers because they exceed the agency's Clean Air Act authority and will impact the entire country. AWO had urged EPA to reject CARB's waiver request for the CHC Rule due to serious safety and feasibility concerns as well as the rule's potential to disrupt the maritime supply chain.

AWO will keep its members apprised of developments in the case. If you have questions, please contact Patrick Parsons.

AWO Welcomes Three New Members. Please join AWO in welcoming three new members:

• Markey Machine, LLC - Markey offers fully custom winches for tugboats, oceanographic vessels and various types of ships around the globe.
• MM-SEAS USCG Licensing Software - MM-SEAS provides expert USCG MMC guidance and third-party Merchant Mariner Credential application submissions and tracking. They also offer a fully-automated MMC Compliance Program to help ensure continuous compliance with USCG regulations.
• Steiner Shipbuilding, Inc. - Based in Bayou La Batre, AL, Steiner Shipyard builds new construction steel or aluminum vessels, from passenger/cargo ferries, to inland river push boats and offshore supply vessels, to commercial fishing trawlers.

Congress Calls Out European Efforts to Undermine the Jones Act. Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee recently wrote to the European Union ambassador to the U.S. to express "serious concerns regarding the recent Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing on behalf of the European Union (E.U.), which describes E.U. efforts to lobby United States lawmakers and policy officials in an effort to secure modifications to the Jones Act..." (italics in original). The FARA filing not only documents that the E.U. was paying a media firm to produce social media videos critical of the Jones Act, but also that the E.U. established a partnership with the CATO Institute to further its objective to gain access to the U.S. market for European maritime companies.

Libertarian-aligned Nonprofit Seeks to Challenge Jones Act in Court. The Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of a Hawaii-based rum producer, recently filed a complaint against the U.S. government alleging that the Jones Act violates the Constitution's Port Preference Clause, a dormant provision that has seldom been litigated. AWO and our partners at the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) are reviewing the lawsuit and discussing the next steps for AWO and AMP.

TRANSCOM Commander Supports Jones Act. During a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) asked the commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) General Randall Reed to explain why the Jones Act is important to TRANSCOM and national security. General Reed explained that the law "allows us to actually have shipping resources" and that because of the Jones Act, "we have a way to make sure that we can build ships here in the United States; that we can sail those ships to maintain commerce; that we can produce the crews that sail those ships."

AWO President & CEO Featured at Hudson Institute Virtual Event on Jones Act. On February 18, AWO President & CEO and American Maritime Partnership President Jennifer Carpenter was a featured speaker at the Hudson Institute, a prominent national security think tank in Washington, DC. Jennifer joined host Michael Roberts - a Senior Fellow with the Hudson Institute, former AMP President, and former Crowley Corporation senior executive - to discuss China's growing dominance in international maritime commerce and the role of American maritime in countering it.

You can listen to the discussion, How US Maritime Industries Can Help Deter China, at the Hudson Institute's website, here.

AWO Prepares Comments on Coast Guard's Final Cyber Security Rulemaking. AWO will submit comments on the Coast Guard's recently issued final rule establishing minimum cybersecurity requirements for Maritime Transportation Security Act-regulated U.S.-flagged vessels, facilities, and Outer Continental Shelf facilities, urging the Coast Guard to reopen the rulemaking for an additional 60 days. At minimum, AWO asks the Coast Guard to delay the implementation of the requirements for U.S.-flag vessels for an additional five years. AWO has also developed a template letter that members can download to submit comments individually, with the flexibility to modify them as necessary.

Currently, the reporting requirements for regulated entities are set to take effect July 16, 2025; however, these requirements will not affect towing vessel operators as they are already required to report cyber incidents pursuant to 33 CFR 6.16-6. The training requirements are set to take effect on January 12, 2026. By July 16, 2027, organizations must have designated a cybersecurity officer, conducted a cybersecurity assessment, and submitted a cybersecurity plan for approval. More information on the rulemaking and compliance timelines can be found here.

Please reach out to Liam Morcroft with any questions.

AWO PAC and Inside Elections. AWO PAC has partnered with Inside Elections for another special edition, featuring an overview of 2026 House elections.

AWO PAC is the connected political action committee for The American Waterways Operators and serves as the trade association's separate segregated fund. As a trade association, AWO is prohibited from using general treasury funds or membership dues to make federal contributions. AWO is one of the most effective advocacy associations in Washington, DC, and relies on voluntary personal contributions to fund AWO PAC.

AWO PAC supports federal candidates who are champions of the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry and who are leaders on issues important to our industry. AWO PAC is dedicated to protecting AWO members' investments in the safest, most environmentally responsible and most economical mode of freight transportation and safeguarding the integrity of the Jones Act to protect the bottom lines of our members.

AWO PAC may solicit contributions from individuals of a member company once the member representative gives AWO written prior approval.

Former Deputy MARAD Administrator Authors Jones Act opEd in New Hampshire. Capt. Richard Balzano, USN (ret.), who served as Deputy Maritime Administrator during President Trump's first term and currently serves as Vice President, Government Relations at Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC, recently authored an opEd discussing the importance of the Jones Act to the state of New Hampshire and to the nation.

Published in the New Hampshire Journal, the opEd responds to the state legislature's ongoing consideration of an anti-Jones Act resolution by highlighting the law's economic and security impact. You can read the full opEd here.

AWO Holds Maryland State Barge-In. On February 26, AWO continued its State Barge-In program with a trip to Annapolis, MD to discuss the tugboat, towboat and barge industry with legislators in both houses. Attendees spoke with lawmakers and their staff about the importance of the Jones Act, workforce development challenges, and potential impacts on harbor maintenance funding stemming from a bill that would tax coal moving through the Port of Baltimore. Many thanks to Larry Strohm (Hays Tug & Launch), Mike Reagoso (McAllister Towing), and Nathan Hauser (Moran Towing) for joining AWO staff for this impactful event.  

Next up, AWO will visit Albany, NY to meet with legislators on March 26. It's not too late to sign up!  Please contact Kyle Burleson at kburleson@americanwaterways.com for more information, or sign up with this form.

FMP Holds Legislative Sail-In. On February 19, the Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP) held a sail-in lobby day in Tallahassee to educate state lawmakers on the importance of U.S. maritime to the Florida economy. FMP members met with State Senator Clay Yarborough (representing Jacksonville), State Representative Chip LaMarca (representing Port Everglades), U.S. Senator Ashley Moody's chief political advisor, the Florida State Department of Emergency Management, and Governor Ron DeSantis' staff. In each of the meetings, officials and lawmakers expressed strong support for the Jones Act.

AWO Testifies in Support of Seattle's Industrial Lands. Peter Schrappen, AWO's Vice President - Pacific Region and Regional Team Lead, and Jim Peschel of Vane Brothers Bunkering, joined maritime representatives in testifying before the Seattle City Council in opposition to a proposed bill that would allow 1,000 new homes to be built in the industrial area south of downtown. Maritime interests oppose the legislation because there is an agreement already in place to not build homes in this industrial area, which services the Port of Seattle. The Seattle City Council moved the bill out of committee on February 27. The next vote on this issue is March 18.

Smart Rivers 2025 Conference Set for September. Smart Rivers 2025, the global technical conference focused on inland and river transportation, is fast approaching! This event brings together private sector, government, and academic leaders to share the latest advances and lessons learned relating to a sustainable future in inland waterborne transport.

Early Bird registration is open at https://smartrivers2025.com/register. Register now to save and join an interdisciplinary community of practitioners, researchers and decision makers in Memphis, September 8-12. 

AWO Atlantic Region Meets in Baltimore. AWO held its Atlantic Region Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, on February 11. Members and guests discussed timely issues impacting the tug and barge industry, including AWO's Jones Act advocacy strategy with the new Congress and Administration, lessons learned from the March 2024 Key Bridge accident, recreational boating safety, and an outlook for the Port of Baltimore from the perspective of the Maryland Port Administration.

Winter Safety and Combined Regions Meeting Held in Nashville. On February 17 and 18, AWO's Safety Committees and Midwest, Ohio Valley and Southern Regions met in Nashville to discuss timely advocacy and safety initiatives. The first day focused on safety, with topics including the AWO Falls Overboard Report, new Safety Statistics Data Reporting program features, and AWO's High-Value Near Miss collection program. The day culminated in the American Waterways HERO Award Ceremony, which recognized more than 50 mariners and 10 crews for their heroic rescue actions.

Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS), Chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, addressed attendees to open the second day, calling for elimination of problematic regulations and delivering a strong message of support for the maritime industry. Panels and discussions throughout the day focused on the AWO Moveable Bridges Quality Partnership, how safety managers should navigate incident investigations when there is potential for litigation, opportunities and challenges with the new Administration and Congress, AWO's relationship with the Coast Guard, and more. 

These presentations and other meeting content are now available on the AWO Resources Page.

AWO Pacific Region Annual Meeting Held in Seattle. AWO's Pacific Region Annual Meeting and Coast Guard-AWO Quality Partnership Meeting brought together more than 70 AWO members in Seattle on March 5 and 6. Members gathered in the Emerald City to hear from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, AWO staff, and industry experts, as well as to vote on the slate of Board members representing the Pacific Region. Following the Annual Meeting, attendees enjoyed a reception and social dinner, and the following day, Coast Guard representatives and AWO members met for the Pacific Region Quality Partnership, formerly known as the Regional Quality Steering Committee.