Maritime Day Marks 200 Years of U.S. Shipping and Port Development

Congress designated May 22 as Maritime Day in recognition of the SS Savannah's 1819 voyage from Savannah, Georgia, to England. That crossing marked the first time a steam-powered vessel completed a transatlantic trip. The U.S. Maritime Administration recently published a request for information on developing and deploying small modular reactors for marine transportation.

Officials have also announced $774 million in port infrastructure grants for fiscal year 2025.

The grants represent the largest single-year total since the Port Infrastructure Development Program began in 2019. Thirty-seven projects received awards to refurbish terminals, upgrade equipment, and improve connections between sea and land transport.

Research from the American Association of Port Authorities states that U.S. ports support $2.9 trillion in economic activity and 22 million jobs. The same data shows $1.8 trillion in associated wages and benefits.

The Port Infrastructure Development Program is currently oversubscribed by a ratio of more than 4 to 1. Advanced appropriations of approximately $450 million per year are scheduled to expire in 2027. The American Association of Port Authorities has requested $10.9 billion over five years for the program.

That amount equals the total value of applications submitted by ports over the past five years.