29 July 2009

[US] Senate Bill Seeks to Promote Cargo Ferries Between U.S. and Canada

The following was reported on in today's edition of ST&R's "WorldTrade Interactive".

Democratic Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin of Michigan introduced recently the Great Lakes Short Sea Shipping Act (S. 1509), which is designed to encourage the use of ferries to transport cargo between the U.S. and Canada. Specifically, this bill would exempt from the 0.125% Harbor Maintenance Tax commercial cargo (other than bulk cargo) that is unloaded at a U.S. port in the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System and loaded at a Canadian port or another U.S. port in that system. A joint press release states that cargo ferries would “move cargo efficiently, reduce congestion at border crossings, and reduce air pollution.”