Obama Administration Budget FY 2011

            The Obama Administration released its fiscal year 2011 Budget on February 1, 2010. A review of the full fiscal year 2011 Budget submission provides the following information regarding programs affecting the maritime industry.

MARITIME ADMINISTRATION (MarAd)

HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT (DOD)

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT (USDA)

For 2011, the budget provides an increase of some $100 million over the fiscal year 2010 request for foreign assistance programs of over $2 billion including:

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

            The fiscal year 2011 budget estimates that the Bank’s export credit support will total $19.4 billion, and will be funded by a requested $93 million of new budget authority in addition to amounts carried over from prior years. The budget also proposes $106 million for administrative expenses.

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION (FMC)

            The agency’s budget is programmed at $25 million, the same amount that was contained in the fiscal year 2010 budget request. Major program areas for fiscal year 2011 are carrying out investigations of foreign trade practices under the Foreign Shipping Practices Act; maintaining equitable trading conditions in U.S. ocean commerce; facilitating compliance with applicable shipping statutes through outreach and oversight; and reviewing ocean carrier operational and pricing agreements to guard against excessively anticompetitive effects.

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

            $32 million is requested to fund the operation, maintenance, and capital infrastructure improvements of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montreal and Lake Erie. The funding request is financed through appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and other non-federal sources.

February 5, 2010