National End the Jones Act Waiver Campaign Releases Second Ad. The American Maritime Partnership's
End the Waiver campaign has launched its second ad,
Talking Point, which began airing on CNBC, CNN, and Fox News Channel this week. The ad highlights that the Jones Act waiver was sold by President Trump's advisors as a measure that would lower gas prices and increase domestic cargo flows, but has done neither, and has instead hurt American maritime jobs and investment by opening domestic routes to foreign vessels and crews. The ad ends by calling on President Trump to trust his own instincts and end the waiver.
AWO is working closely with AMP as a funder and partner in the End the Waiver campaign, and encourages our members to: help amplify this
latest ad; encourage your employees to write Congress by visiting
EndtheWaiver.com; volunteer to be featured in local press coverage in your area; send us content featuring your mariners speaking out against the waiver for us to share on social media; and share data with us to demonstrate harm caused by the waiver.
Latest MARAD Reporting Identifies 133 Foreign Cargo Movements under Jones Act Waiver. In its
June 24, 2026 - 2:30 pm report, the U.S. Maritime Administration disclosed 133 cargo movements within the U.S. completed by foreign-flag vessels. With the U.S. and Iran signing an interim peace agreement that permanently ends military operations, the justification for continuing a 501(a) waiver that is "necessary in the interest of national defense to address an immediate adverse effect on military operation" no longer exists. Each voyage represents a concrete outsourcing of domestic commerce to foreign companies and non-U.S. mariners, with no benefit to America's security and no benefit to the prices American's pay for fuel, fertilizer, and other goods covered under the waiver. In fact, data demonstrates that over the course of the waiver, the U.S. exported roughly 39 times more petroleum than was moved domestically under the waiver. With the national defense rationale gone and the harms to American mariners and shipyards mounting, the case for ending the waiver has never been stronger -- and AWO will continue to make that clear to the Administration and Congress.
Centerline Logistics Captain Featured in Jones Act Waiver Press Coverage. WorkBoat and
Marine Log recently published feature interviews with Captain Reed Richardson of Centerline Logistics Corporation sharing his perspective on how the Jones Act waiver is harming American mariners and U.S. national interests. In the interviews, Capt. Richardson, who works aboard an ATB that carries fuel between Houston and Maine, discusses the waiver's impact on American mariner jobs, and the vital importance of the Jones Act to national security and waterways safety, including implications of the 2024 allision of the foreign containership
Dali with the Key Bridge in Baltimore.
As Captain Richardson
observes: "I've seen ships going from Texas to Texas to Florida, and I can't understand how that's a supply chain issue, especially with my boat. We could have done that job. Moving ethanol from within Texas, that's an eight-hour trip. We could have easily moved it."
White House Submits MAP Legislative Proposals to Congress. The White House has begun sending legislative proposals to Congress to implement its Maritime Action Plan (MAP). The President has asked Congress to enact legislation establishing a Maritime Security Trust Fund and Maritime Prosperity Zones to spur investment in ports, marine highways, and commercial shipbuilding. The submittal also requests legislation to direct the Department of Transportation to devise a system that requires importers to source portions of their cargo on U.S.-flagged or built vessels. AWO will be tracking and working to influence legislative action on these and future proposals as we work with Congress and the Administration to restore America's maritime dominance.
NMC Reports Improving Processing Times. As previewed for AWO staff in a recent meeting with National Maritime Center (NMC) leadership, the NMC recently issued updated guidance that it expects complete merchant mariner credential applications to be processed within 8 months from the date received. This is a reduction from the previously announced estimate of 8-12 months. AWO continues to work with the Coast Guard to improve mariner credentialing processes and welcomes the NMC's efforts to surge resources and deliver initial progress in reducing processing times.
FDA Initiates Oral Fluid Testing Deregulatory Action. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed measures to ease the process for laboratories to be certified to conduct oral fluid testing. Under federal workplace drug testing regulations implemented through the U.S. Coast Guard, oral fluid testing cannot be used by maritime employers until at least two laboratories are certified. This move, which AWO will support in formal comments, follows a joint letter from the Passenger Vessel Association, AWO, Chamber of Shipping of America, and Offshore Marine Services Association in July 2025 to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging the Administration to initiate measures to reduce regulatory obstacles to laboratory certification. For questions about the FDA proposal or oral fluids testing, please contact
Patrick Parsons.
NTSB Implements Increase in Major Marine Casualty Monetary Threshold Pending Regulatory Change. Per the Department of Homeland Security's Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board have jointly proposed to amend the monetary property damage threshold amount for reporting a major marine casualty that triggers an independent investigation by the NTSB. The notice of proposed rulemaking remains pending, but in a recent conversation with the Coast Guard's Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis, AWO was informed that the NTSB is already implementing this change under its existing authorities. If this is not consistent with your recent experiences with marine casualty reporting, please contact
Caitlyn Stewart.
AWO Meets with Coast Guard to Discuss Deregulatory Process. AWO Vice President - Regulatory Affairs Caitlyn Stewart recently met with Benjamin Hawkins, Acting Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters to discuss the Coast Guard's process to reduce regulatory burdens per President's Trump's deregulatory directives and the White House's Maritime Action Plan. The majority of Mr. Hawkins' team was furloughed during the lapse in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, but they have since resumed their work on regulatory and deregulatory actions and are also supporting the Coast Guard's efforts to streamline and clarify policy by evaluating cost savings. AWO will continue to advocate for
member-endorsed deregulatory action items as the Coast Guard works to eliminate undue regulatory burdens, streamline compliance processes, and reduce regulatory ambiguity.
AWO Launches Vessel Inspection Feedback Tracker. AWO recently launched a new Vessel Inspection Feedback Tracker to gather better data on member experiences with Coast Guard inspection scheduling challenges, delays, and inconsistent practices across units. Reporting this information will allow AWO to identify trends, quantify operational and economic impacts, and more effectively engage Coast Guard leadership with clear, data-driven examples.
Members are encouraged to report difficulties scheduling or rescheduling inspections, service delays, communication challenges, and any resulting operational or commercial disruptions. Submissions will be reviewed to identify patterns, and anonymized examples may be used to support collaboration with the Coast Guard. AWO will never share identifying company information without prior approval.
The Tracker is available through the AWO Member Portal and the AWO App. If you would like to coordinate your company's submissions to the Tracker or facilitate entries by employees that do not have AWO Member Portal log-in credentials, please contact Liam Morcroft.
Coast Guard Cyber Command Releases 2025 CTIME Report. The U.S. Coast Guard's Cyber Command recently released its 2025 Cyber Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment (CTIME) report, highlighting recent cyber threat trends and practical lessons on vulnerabilities and mitigation across the maritime sector. While reported incidents increased, the Coast Guard notes that resulting operational impacts are often limited, reinforcing the importance of resilience alongside prevention. The report also underscores a familiar theme: many of the same foundational cybersecurity gaps, such as system configuration and access control weaknesses, continue to be observed year over year.
Although the 2025 CTIME report leans more heavily on facility cybersecurity, it still offers useful insights for vessel operators, particularly in areas where IT and OT systems intersect. Overall, the report reinforces the value of focusing on basic cyber hygiene and taking a risk-based, operations-focused approach to managing cyber risk across both vessel and shoreside operations.
AWO Attends MSU Texas City Change of Command Ceremony. AWO welcomes the new Coast Guard Commanding Officer of MSU Texas City, CDR Jessica Northcutt. CDR Northcutt's previous assignment was at the Heartland District's Prevention Division. She relieved CDR Bradley Bergan during the June 24 ceremony, which was attended by AWO Southern Region Vice President Jill Bessetti along with many other AWO members and Coast Guard personnel.
AWO PAC and Inside Elections. AWO PAC has partnered with Inside Elections for another special edition, featuring a quarterly House overview with fresh analysis on more than 100 districts around the country and rating changes in a dozen races.
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.
Summary of NTZ - June 2026. In the latest edition of AWO's Navigating to Zero Safety and Sustainability Newsletter, we previewed the Summer Safety Meeting on June 21-22 in Chicago; reported on activities across all sectors, including a shipyard fire in the Northeast Atlantic, Puget Sound Standard of Care updates, recreational Hot-Tub boats in the Great Lakes Region, and the Nationwide End the Waiver Campaign; shared updated USCG Safety Alerts, Investigation Reports, and Training criteria updates, heat and Atlantic hurricane forecasts; interviewed James Loughlin, Chair of the AWO Tankering Subcommittee and CEO of Midwest Tankermen, LLC.; summarized recent NTSB Casualty Reports; congratulated three new HERO Award winners; and more!
See these stories in the June NTZ and don't forget to send in your SSRP data, High Value Near Misses, and HERO Award nominations to promote continuous improvement. Email Liam Morcroft to set up delivery or explore past editions on the AWO NTZ on your iPhone or Android mobile app.
Summer Safety Meeting Agenda Now Available in the AWO App. Check out the agenda in the mobile app to see what's in store next month! Join us July 21-22 at Loews Chicago for safety-focused discussions, industry updates, and networking with fellow AWO members. It's not too late to register -- make plans to join us in Chicago!
If you don't have the AWO mobile app, download it now to iOS/iPhone or Android.
