Maritime Administration Announces October 3 Public Hearing on Cargo Preference

U.S. federal cargo preference laws reserve a portion (which varies by program) of U.S. Government impelled cargoes to qualified U.S.-flag vessels. Apparently as part of the Government's ongoing regulatory review process, MARAD is commencing a review of its regulations which implement cargo preference for civilian agency cargoes (vs. Department of Defense cargoes). Those rules govern the determination of fair and reasonable rates for U.S.-flag vessels and the process by which the reservation is implemented and measured.  As part of that process, MARAD announced, on September 19, 2011, a public meeting to be held on October 3, 2011 at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.  Attendees must notify MARAD by September 23 if they will be there in person. The meeting will also be web cast.