By Susan Taylor, Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway and Brent Donovan
The advancement of the recently announced America’s Maritime Action Plan (MAP) is embraced by the ports in the bistate St. Louis region as a unique opportunity to play a role in this comprehensive federal framework. The MAP is a blueprint for rebuilding the nation’s maritime strength, increasing the use of technology, enhancing supply chain resilience and expanding domestic industrial capacity.
It is estimated that only one percent of all new vessels are currently built in the United States. While national attention focuses on coastal shipbuilding and ocean ports, the MAP highlights the need for expanded geographical representation, underscoring that inland waterways and river ports are essential to achieving these goals. For the St. Louis region, this policy represents an opportunity to elevate the Mississippi River and our nation’s most efficient inland port system within America’s maritime future.
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