“The United States has always been and will always be a great maritime nation. From our origins as 13 British colonies, through every period of peace and conflict since, the Merchant Marine has been a pillar in this country’s foundation of prosperity and security. They power the world’s largest economy and strengthen our ties with trading partners around the world, all while supporting our military forces by shipping troops and supplies wherever they need to go.

“Ninety years ago, Congress declared National Maritime Day to commemorate the American steamship Savannah’s voyage from the United States to England, marking the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean with steam propulsion. During World War II more than 250,000 members of the American Merchant Marine served their country, with more than 6,700 giving their lives, hundreds being detained as prisoners of war and more than 800 U.S. merchant ships being sunk or damaged.

“Maritime Day is a time-honored tradition that recognizes one of our country’s most important industries. Each year, ceremonies and celebrations throughout the country recognize National Maritime Day and the people our maritime nation depends on.”

Key Stats

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Table CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, highlighting the 9 Codes listed below:

NAICS 3366, Ship and Boat Building
NAICS 336611, Ship Building and Repairing
NAICS 336612, Boat Building
NAICS 441222, Boat Dealers
NAICS 4883, Support Activities for Water Transportation
NAICS 48831, Port and Harbor Operations
NAICS 48832, Marine Cargo Handling
NAICS 48833, Navigational Services to Shipping
NAICS 48839, Other Support Activities for Water Transportation

able CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, highlighting the 9 Codes

Note: The table above is sorted to list all establishments (employment size) in the United States and several columns are hidden. Click on the image for the full table.

More Stats

Source: Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders 1992-2023.

Ships and Boats: U.S. Total, Value of Shipments

Source: Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) 2010-2023.

Source: Service Annual Survey (SAS) 2021.

Table 1. Estimated Revenue for Employer and Nonemployer Firms: 2013 Through 2021, notice NAICS 483, Water Transportation [<1.0 MB]

Source: Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) 2018-2021.

Table AM1831BASIC02, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Geographic Area Statistics: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S. and States: 2018 - 2021, showing NAICS 3366, Ship and Boat Building

Source: 2020 Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS).

Table BDSEAGE, Business Dynamics Statistics: Establishment Age: 1978-2020, highlighting the 2 Codes listed below:

NAICS 3366, Ship and Boat Building
NAICS 4883, Support Activities for Water Transportation

Source: 2019 Annual Business Survey (ABS) Program.

Table AB1900CSA01 Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race, and Veteran Status for the U.S., States, Metro Areas, Counties, and Places: 2019, highlighting NAICS 483, Water Transportation

Source: 2019 Nonemployer Statistics (NES).

Table NS1900NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form of Organization and Receipts Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2019, highlighting NAICS 441222, Boat Dealers

Source: 2017 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS).

Table CF1700P1, CFS Preliminary Report: Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation: 2017, see Water, Inland water, Great Lakes, Deep sea, and Multiple Waterways.

Source: 2017 Economic Census.

Table EC1700BASIC, All Sectors: Summary Statistics for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2017, showing the 9 Codes listed above

From Business and Economy / International Trade:

USA Trade Online — The Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for Harmonized System (HS) or HS, select Exports or Imports, type “Ship” or “Boat” in the Commodity search box, then select options for geography and time. Select Report for data. In addition, HS Port-level Data, including Methods of Transportation are also available. More information is available in the Quick Start Guide.

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