Issues & Advocacy

Every year, the commercial marine industry in Canada is responsible for:

• $10 billion in economic activity
• 100,000 jobs
• $117 billion in international trade
• 456 million tonnes of cargo
• 97% of all non-U.S. international trade
• saving thousands of heavy trucks from congesting our roads and highways
• reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions: greenhouse gas emissions from ships are one-tenth of those generated by trucks and one-half of those produced by trains (g/ton-kilometer)

But to continue to provide these economic and social benefits, governments must:

• stop New York State's unilateral, unharmonized ballast water regulations which could prevent ship transit between Quebec and Ontario and blockade entry into the Great Lakes
• remove punitive, competition-killing barriers to trade, like
  • Coast Guard marine service fees, and
  • the 25% federal duty on imported new, used and repaired vessels
• modernize marine pilotage to make it more financially sustainable
• work with industry to set clear, unambiguous environmental standards, harmonized internationally
• invest in marine infrastructure to strengthen the competitive position of gateways and trade corridors
• help with labour shortages by attracting students and skilled immigrants

Chamber of Marine Commerce regulatory submissions:

• United States Coast Guard proposed rulemaking “Standards for Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters”
  December 4, 2009
• Canada's proposed remission of customs duties on imported vessels
  November 16, 2009
• United States Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rulemaking on emissions control area
  November 20, 2009