Domestic waterborne transportation is safe, reliable, efficient and an established mainstay of America's national transport system. The domestic shipping operations of the American merchant marine provide essential services to 41 states reaching 90 percent of the national population. This environmentally friendly form of surface transportation handles a combined total of over 1.1 billion short tons of cargo, which is about 23 percent of the ton-miles of all domestic surface transportation traffic. Domestic waterborne transportation contributes $7.7 billion to the gross domestic product annually in the form of freight revenue.

To encourage a strong U.S. merchant marine for both national defense and economic security, the nation's domestic waterborne commerce is reserved for vessels built in the United States, owned and crewed by American citizens, and registered under the American flag. U.S. laws governing the domestic transportation of passengers and cargo by water are generally known as the Jones Act, named after Senator Wesley Jones (R-WA), the sponsor of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The Jones Act continues to be the foundation for America's domestic shipping policy.