Business View Magazine - July 2023

179 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 Yet while the domestic marine transportation industry often operates quietly in the background, it has an outsized impact on our nation’s economy, supply chain, security and quality of life, and offers rewarding, family-wage careers to Americans of all backgrounds. Every year, the tugboat, towboat and barge industry moves nearly 700 million tons of cargo throughout the United States – including fuel, agricultural products, chemicals, construction materials for buildings and roads, and other commodities that drive our economy. Industry vessels move freight on our rivers, coastal waters and Great Lakes, and provide critical “ship-assist” service to help guide large containerships ships safely into and out of U.S. ports. The industry supports over 270,000 American jobs nationwide, and contributes over $30 billion to U.S. GDP annually. Throughout the challenges of the past several years, domestic maritime has continued to make AMERICAN WATERWAYS OPERATORS ( AWO)