Statement of American Maritime Partnership Regarding Waivers of the Jones Act to Move Petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

July 22, 2011

(Washington, DC) - "There is no need for these waivers. American vessel operators with millions of barrels of coastwise-qualfied capacity are available at this very moment. Granting these waivers essentially hands over the transportation of this crude oil to foreign shipping companies at the expense of unemployed American mariners at a time when our country needs every paycheck. The decision to grant these waivers is very disappointing."

Board of Directors, American Maritime Partnership

American Maritime Partnership ("AMP") is the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry, a pillar of our nation's economic, national, and homeland security. More than 40,000 American vessels, built in American shipyards, crewed by American mariners, and owned by American companies, ply our waters 24/7, and this commerce sustains nearly 500,000 jobs, $29 billion in labor compensation, and more than $100 billion in annual economic output according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Transportation Institute. So efficient are these vessels that they carry a quarter of the nation's cargo for only 2 percent of the national freight bill, and being American-owned, -built, and -crewed helps make America more secure.

For more information, contact: Matt Englehart (202) 415-5313/info@mctf.com

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