Legislation signed earlier this week by President Obama to reopen and fund the federal government through January 15, 2014, also contains a provision to fund the Maritime Security Program at $186 million.
USA Maritime, an organization of carriers and unions that supports and lobbies for the U.S.-flag shipping, said, “The MSP provision restores a $12 million shortfall anomaly in the program and guarantees that each of the 60 U.S.-flag vessels in the MSP program will receive full funding from Oct. 1, 2013, through Jan. 15, 2014. It also means that all the ships participating in the Maritime Security Program will remain in the MSP during this period.”
The 60 ships enrolled in the program each receive a subsidy of $3.1 million to partially offset the higher cost crewing and operating a ship registered in the U.S.
Maritime Security Program fully funded
