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United States. Maritime Administration
Focused on the ships, ports, and mariners that keep U.S. trade and defense moving, this federal agency plays a quiet but important role behind the scenes. It supports the merchant marine, maritime workforce, port development, and emergency sealift capacity.
1 Audiobook
The Nuclear Ship Savannah First Atomic Merchant Ship, One of the World's Safest Ships
by United States. Department of Commerce, United States. Maritime Administration, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
About the author
The United States Maritime Administration, usually called MARAD, is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its core mission is to foster, promote, and develop the American merchant maritime industry, linking commercial shipping with national security, economic resilience, and transportation policy.
MARAD’s work reaches across a wide range of maritime needs. It supports the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Maritime Service, oversees programs tied to ships and ship financing, helps strengthen ports and intermodal connections, and backs research and training for the maritime workforce. The agency also plays a national defense role by helping maintain sealift capacity and preserving readiness for emergencies.
The agency traces its roots to the postwar reorganization of U.S. maritime policy in 1950, when functions of the former U.S. Maritime Commission were split and MARAD was established. Over time, it has remained one of the federal government’s main champions for the health of the American maritime sector and its long-term strategic importance.