Page 22: of Marine News Magazine (September 2026)

21 23

One-on-One

Stephen M. Carmel, U.S. Maritime Administrator “This is a Different

Maritime Revival”

Stephen M. Carmel & MarAd are aiming to make this U.S.

Maritime Rebuild Stick

U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen M.

Carmel took more than an hour @ the

American Great Lakes Ports Association annual conference in Chicago to discuss

By Greg Trauthwein the depth, breadth, plan and progress on the U.S. maritime revival.

or anyone who has spent a career in the U.S. mari- cycle and die. This is a different maritime revival,” he said.

time industry, the past two years have been unusual The difference, according to Carmel, starts with geo- by any metric. Maritime has moved from the far political competition: ie. China’s aim to dominate global

Fmargins of federal policy discussions to center stage, maritime; and extends to bipartisan political support and with rebuilding American shipbuilding, the Merchant Ma- the willingness to provide funding. “There is a coalescence rine and the maritime industrial base elevated a national of national will around it that has not existed, if ever, in my priority. Action to shore up the big ship, military portion lifetime,” he said. As with previous efforts to ‘revive U.S. of the equation has been rapid and measurable. But beyond shipbuilding’, ultimately, time will tell.

the top echelon of defense contractors, many mid- and small-tier yards and suppliers have been left waiting. For

A Commercial Maritime Industry First the builders and operators of the towboats, tugs, barges,

For Marine News readers, perhaps the most important ferries and workboats that populate America’s waterways, element of Carmel’s agenda is his insistence that rebuilding however, there is an understandable response: ‘Enough talk. American maritime cannot simply mean building more

Where is the work?’

Navy ships. It requires rebuilding a commercial shipbuild-

Stephen M. Carmel, Administrator of the U.S. Mari- ing and operating base. “When we start seeing the transi- time Administration (MARAD), understands the skepti- tion from MOU signings and champagne toasts in Wash- cism. He also believes this maritime revival is fundamen- ington DC to shovels turning dirt at potential shipyards in tally different from its predecessors.

the next year, that’s how we’ll know we’re making progress. “I think everyone alive has been through at least two, I’m certain that is possible.” if not more, maritime revivals,” Carmel said, describing “Our job in the Maritime Administration is to rebuild a previous initiatives that “last until the next appropriation civilian commercial shipbuilding enterprise,” Carmel said. 22 | MN September 2026