State of U.S. Maritime Industry: Impact of COVID-19

By: Serena Aguilar, Legislative Intern

In a recent hearing in the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, witnesses were gathered to discuss the impacts COVID-19 has had on the Maritime Industry. Each of the witnesses expressed their admiration and appreciation for the work the United States Coast Guard has done during the COVID-19 pandemic in supporting the U.S. Maritime Industry. Each witness expressed the need for the Maritime Industry and U.S. Coast Guard to be included and protected in future COVID-19 relief plans and the need for their frontline workers to be included in vaccination groups. 
​
Ben Bordelon, Chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America, specifically described how the U.S. shipyard industry builds, maintains, and repairs vessels for the armed forces. Bordelon continued to describe how the U.S. shipyard industry has encountered additional costs and delays with production, workforce, and critical supply chains. However, the shipyard industry has not shut down, allowing the maintenance and repair of vessels vital to the Coast Guard’s mission of presence and protection. Shipyards have seen absenteeism rates as high as 30%, impacting schedules and costs. The SCA encourages Congress to pass stable and predictable budgets for the U.S. Coast Guard, allowing for the Coast Guard to reliably continue to recapitalize essential assets and programs. 

Watch Livestream Here