A study unveiled this week documents the contribution of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry to the U.S. economy.
The study, developed through a cooperative agreement between the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, explores the industry’s economic contributions to employment, gross domestic product and taxes at the national and state levels; details the types and quantities of vital commodities transported on American waterways; and compares waterborne transport to other modes of freight transport in terms of efficiency, environmental impact and public safety.
The study found that the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry supports more than 300,000 jobs nationwide, including 50,000 in the industry itself, 38,000 of which are on board vessels, and has a total annual impact on GDP of $33.8 billion.
