Page 24: of Marine News Magazine (September 2026)

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One-on-One

Stephen M. Carmel, U.S. Maritime Administrator

The problem is that too many po- dividual grants without considering terways connecting the nation’s inte- tential users have historically looked how they strengthen the broader rior are allowed to deteriorate.

at the program and walked away be- maritime system. “It does no good at all to build out cause of its complexity. Carmel said this robust seacoast stuff if we’ve let

MARAD is working to streamline the interior of the country fall apart,”

The Great Lakes:

Title XI and turn it into a modern Carmel said.

Not an Afterthought vessel-construction ? nancing tool He points to the Soo Locks as a text-

Carmel’s de? nition of American that commercial operators actually maritime strength extends well be- book example of infrastructure that want to use. “We cannot build with yond the coastal deep-sea ports that can become a single point of national scale if we cannot ? nance at scale,” typically dominate Washington’s mar- economic failure. Citing a government

Carmel said. itime conversation. “The Great Lakes, study, Carmel said a six-month closure

MARAD is similarly rethinking the inland waterways, the ports. We could cause between $1.2 trillion and shipyard grants, emphasizing invest- $1.4 trillion in economic damage, put actually have ? ve coasts,” Carmel said.

ments that “signi? cantly increase That ? fth coast is the Arctic, and 11 million people out of work and in- their productivity” and capacity Carmel argues that both the Great ? ict potentially unrecoverable damage rather than simply distributing in- on the U.S. steel industry.

Lakes and Alaska need to become in- “One lock,” he said. “That should tegrated into everyday thinking about

American maritime power rather than scare anyone.”

His prescription is simple in con- appearing as regional afterthoughts. “When the Great Lakes start being part cept, if dif? cult in execution: “We of the mainstream conversation of what need to ? nd out where the single maritime dominance looks like, then I points of failure are and ? x them.” know we’ve made progress,” he said.

Cargo Creates Ships

Similarly, “We are an Arctic nation

Ultimately, no amount of shipyard and we better remember that.”

For Carmel, that means treating the investment matters without customers.

For Carmel, the entire commercial-

Great Lakes, inland rivers, ports, coast- al waterways and Arctic as components maritime equation therefore starts with cargo. “The U.S. Merchant Marine is of a single transportation and nation- al-security network. Nowhere is the ? rst and foremost here to carry the na- weakness of that network more evident tion’s commerce and then carry the na- tion to war when we need to,” he said.

than on America’s inland waterways.

Government-impelled cargo alone,

Carmel calls them “the absolute arteries of American commerce,” but he argues, is insuf? cient to rebuild argues that their condition remains the industry. The objective must be unacceptable. “We need some serious to put more normal U.S. commerce investment in the inland arteries that aboard U.S.-? ag vessels, creating the sustain the lifeblood of America,” he demand signal that encourages op- said. “And that’s our ports and locks erators to invest in ships.

The proposed U.S. NPR mecha- and inland waterways system.”

It is a particularly relevant message nism starts by reserving 3% of the na- for the towboat and barge industry. tion’s commerce for U.S.-? ag vessels,

Building new vessels, modernizing according to Carmel, before ramping ? eets and strengthening coastal ports upward and eventually transitioning toward U.S.-built ships. “The ? rst accomplishes little if the locks and wa- 24 | MN September 2026