"Maintaining a national maritime industrial base and strong partnerships with the commercial maritime industry is critically important to the Department of Defense," Gen. Fraser said. "A strong commercial American industry is particularly important during times of budget cuts."

Today, the maritime industry is the most economical form of domestic transportation, moving more than 1 billion tons of cargo annually at a fraction of the cost of other modes.  This efficient transportation mode helps the economy run smoothly and sustains nearly 500,000 jobs.  It is also good for the environment as ships and tug/barge units use less fuel and produce fewer emissions than land-based modes of transportation.

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