News & Policies – Great Lake Maritime Task Force
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The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force is a hub for information and the latest news pertaining to the maritime industry and other related topics. Our goal is to keep the community and our stakeholders informed on current happenings and initiatives that impact shipping on the Great Lakes.

PRESS RELEASES

U.S. Representative Pete Stauber Named 2023 Legislator of the Year

On Friday, August 18, 2023, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Congressman Pete Stauber for his staunch support of the Great Lakes Navigation System at the Clure Public Marine Terminal in Duluth, Minnesota. 

LETTERS

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force often drafts letters to inform elected officials of our organization’s stance and viewpoints on various issues, and to earn support for our goals. See GLMTF’s most recently published letter below.

Docket No. 20–10, Comments on Conditions Created by Canadian Ballast Water Regulations in the U.S./Canada Great Lakes Trade

July 10, 2020 Federal Maritime Commission800 North Capitol Street, N.WWashington, D.C. 20573 Via email to: secretary@fmc.gov Subject: Docket No. 20–10, Comments on Conditions Created by Canadian Ballast Water Regulations in the U.S./Canada Great Lakes Trade Founded in 1992, Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) promotes domestic and international shipping on the Great Lakes. With 76 members, […]

LEGISLATOR AWARDS

2020 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year:

Congressman Pete Stauber (R-MN)

2023

Congressman Pete Stauber (R-MN)

Congressman Stauber continues to champion the miners that work on the northern tier of the Great Lakes supplying the critical raw materials that drive the national economy and make the Great Lakes region America’s industrial powerhouse.  The millions of tons of iron ore extracted from Minnesota’s Mesabi Range is transported by U.S.-owned, U.S-crewed, and U.S.-flagged vessels to steel mills in the southern Great Lakes contributing to more than 147,000 American jobs and $36 billion in economic impact.

Congressman Stauber believes in American workers and fully supports the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, more commonly known as the “Jones Act.”  The critical law ensures U.S. cargo is carried by U.S. vessels between U.S. ports keeping our maritime industry strong with 650,000 sustained American jobs.  “Congressman Stauber is invested in America and its dedicated workforce.  I applaud his selection for his tenacious support of the 4th Sea Coast,” stated John D. Baker, International Longshoremen’s Association and President of GLMTF.

The Great Lakes are cold in the winter and when ice forms it can impede commercial vessels, endanger sailors and their ships, and bring North American manufacturing to a halt without adequate federal icebreaking.  Congressman Stauber continues to support icebreaking resources for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on the Great Lakes endorsing authorization and appropriations for a new heavy Great Lakes icebreaker for the agency.