Trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation

The Canadian, American and Mexican flags

On April 20, 2006, the Maritime Administration, representing the U.S. Department of Transportation, signed a Trilateral Declaration with Canada and Mexico in Vancouver, Canada. This Declaration committed the U.S., Canada and Mexico to efforts intended to expand short sea shipping operations in North America through the creation of a web based North American Short Sea Shipping Information Clearing House. The "Clearing House" will essentially consist of a web-based forum to facilitate dialogue between shippers and short sea operators to advance short sea shipping in North America.

In the future, the Maritime Administration will seek a larger role in the development of new short sea shipping services designed to mitigate congestion (especially border and corridor related congestion). The Agency will also focus specific efforts at facilitating a series of "one on one" dialogues between shippers and short sea shipping operators in an ongoing effort to expand the use of waterborne transportation by the nation's shipper community.

In addition to the creation of the North American Short Sea Shipping Information Clearing House, the Vancouver Trilateral Declaration called for the Maritime Administration and its Canadian and Mexican partners to establish a Steering Committee focusing on the creation of a North American short sea shipping strategy. This strategy will be designed to eliminate selected North American regulation barriers deemed as impediments to the development of new short sea shipping services in North America.

Trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation

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