Skip to main content

Maritime Law-MARAD's First National Maritime Strategy Symposium

I had the pleasure to attending the first-ever National Maritime Strategy Symposium sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration ("MARAD"). It began on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 and welcomed industry stakeholders to the three-day conference aimed at supporting the growth of the U.S. maritime industry and ensuring the availability of U.S.-flag vessels for our nation’s economic and national security.

Taken from the MARAD website at http://www.marad.dot.gov/ on January 14, 2014.


On Wednesday the 15th, I was slated to speak on “Increasing U.S. Flag Competitiveness by Funding the Vessel Trade-In Program" and did so that afternoon. There was not enough seating in the room I was speaking in and the interest in helping MARAD develop a national maritime strategy, consistent and in tandem with the Department of Transportation’s national freight strategic plan was palpable. As stated by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, "More than 75 percent of all U.S trade is transported by water, making maritime trade a critical part of our country’s economy . We must strengthen America’s ability to move products on the oceans, lakes, rivers and waterways, and chart a sustainable future course for the U.S. Maritime Industry.” I could not have said it better myself.

The information gathered from the attendees is not only supposed to help MARAD develop this national strategy, it is also expected to help lay the groundwork for capitalizing on emerging opportunities and enabling the nation to strengthen its leadership role in the international maritime community. This was discussed at length at one of the breakout sessions I attended Wednesday.
 
The Maritime Executive reports that more than 250 people representing shippers, operators, labor, academics, and government entities were attending this event. The event was well attended and by a broad spectrum of the industry. I personally witnessed a lot of engagement during the time I was at this event and everyone was really trying to think inside and outside of the box to develop ways to improve U.S. flag competitiveness.

For those of you that are not that familiar with MARAD, it works in many areas involving ships and shipping, shipbuilding, port operations, vessel operations, national security, environment and safety.  MARAD advertises it commitment to maintaining the health of the U.S. Merchant Marine and creating opportunities for U.S. mariners and our Nation’s maritime industry.
 
If you are interested in receiving a copy of my PowerPoint presentation to MARAD, you can locate it at Vessel Trade-In Program or you may write to me at mov@chaloslaw.com.  

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ReThink + ReUse Center "It's How We Roll" Fun Raiser -- Bowling Night -- October 16, 2014

As many of my readers may be aware, I am the Chair of the ReThink + ReUse Center, a non-for-profit educational and environmental Center in Miami educating children into rethinking reuseable materials for learning through play. The ReThink and ReUse Center’s Quality Play is Learning Program provides a series of educational and participatory workshops based on the philosophies of Reggio Emilia and Harvard's Project Zero Visible Thinking. The Children’s Trust is the major funder of this program, but the Center is required to continually fundraise for the balance its annual budget.   The Center is having a fun event you are invited to--the ReThink + Reuse Center’s “It’s How We Roll” bowling event on October 16, 2014 at Splitsville Luxury Lanes from 18:00 to 21:30 hours. My firm, Comcast and Waste Management are major sponsors for this event, but we could use a few more sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please let me know by reaching me at mov@chalos
6 comments
Read more

Maritime Law--Florida's Arbitration Code Is Now Revised

Those of us that practice maritime law regularly must always be on the lookout for the contract that may contain an arbitration clause. Thus, any laws related to arbitration are important to those of us practicing in this sector.       The Florida legislature has revised the Florida Arbitration Code ("FAC") and named it the Revised Florida Arbitration Code (the " Revised Act"). Since 1967, the FAC had gone mostly unchanged. The Revised Act addresses concepts that were not addressed in the old law, such as the ability of arbitrators to issue provision remedies, challenges based on notice, consolidation of separate arbitration proceedings, required conflict disclosures by arbitrators, among other major changes. The Revised Act lays out a detailed framework for international arbitration conducted under Florida law and repeals sections of the FAC. The Revised Act spells out what experienced arbitrators knew the case law to be, but codifies it all in one pl
4 comments
Read more

Maritime Law--Lozman Case Revisited in Miami?

In Hoefling v. City of Miami , Case no.: 14-12482 (11th Cir. Jan. 25, 2016), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit revived almost all of Hoefling's claims. You ask, "Who is Hoefling?" Hoefling  lived on his sailboat Metis O moored off Dinner Key for nearly a decade—until the day he came home and it was gone. About three months earlier, an officer from the Miami Police Department's Marine Patrol Detail tagged Hoefling's vessel for lacking a sanitary device and a working anchor light. He had a deal to use the facilities at the nearby marina but quickly went out and reportedly bought what he needed to comply. Three months later while he was on a business trip, the City of Miami seized and destroyed his boat and all his belongings. As a result, he was homeless. He sued under § 1983, maritime law, and state law. He stated a claim under the Fourth Amendment for seizure and destruction without notice or cause and a “taking.”    At the U.S. Distric
5 comments
Read more