The United States maritime industry would benefit if regulations were relaxed to enable ships not built and operated by U.S. companies to travel port-to-port in the country, says Elizabeth Wetzel of the University of Houston.
She made the remarks at the third Harris County International Trade and Transportation Conference in Houston Jan. 24-26. The conferences are directed by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
Wetzel points out that current regulations require ships operating port-to-port in the United States must be built in-country. Complicating the situation is that ships other than those for the U.S. Navy are no longer manufactured in the U.S.
She points out that, if the regulations were changed, ships built elsewhere could be made to meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations, which would be less expensive than building new ships. Wetzel says that the maritime industry does not have a common voice, which it needs to improve the U.S. market logistics.
Turning to the subject of the Panama Canal expansion, and its possibilities for Houston economic development, she says that more facts and statistics are needed to evaluate the promise. She said it remains unknown how the increase in canal traffic anticipated by the expansion will spill over to Houston.
At the same time, she points out that as economic development occurs, the more the environment will be impacted--and subsequent regulations applied--as a result.
She also notes that economic development relies on trained employees--a situation that higher educational institutions, as well as high schools, in the area are well-placed to solve.
More articles about the Houston conference can be accessed by clicking here, here, here and here. Judge Emmett's comments earlier about Houston's transportation prospects are here. More coverage on the Houston transportation scene, including trucking, rail, marine and pipeline can be found here.
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