The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is amending its America’s Marine Highway Program

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is amending its America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP) regulations to implement provisions of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 (CGMTA), the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 (NDAA), and to clarify AMHP processes. The revisions expand the purpose of the AMHP to include promoting short sea transportation, update the definition of short sea transportation, and streamline the regulation to highlight procedures and resources available to program participants.

Why and how is MARAD revising the regulations?

As part of our routine systematic review of existing regulations, MARAD is updating its AMHP implementing regulations to conform to statutory changes and streamline the regulations for ease of use. Accordingly, the rule revises in full the AMHP implementing regulations to: (1) Add “promote short sea shipping” as a purpose of the AMHP; (2) re-designate “corridors, connectors, and crossings” as used in the rule as “Routes” for purposes of simplicity; (3) expand and clarify the definition of AMHP-eligible cargo to include discrete units or packages that are handled individually, palletized, or unitized as well as freight vehicles carried aboard commuter ferry boats; (4) add a requirement for the project sponsors to provide updates on project status; (5) expand the eligibility criteria for services and Routes that may participate in AMHP; (6) clarify criteria for Project Designation; and, (7) reorganize the regulations for ease of use.

The full notice can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/12/01/2017-25897/revision-of-the-americas-marine-highway-program-regulations?utm_campaign=subscription%20mailing%20list&utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_medium=email