DEEP-DRAFT NAVIGATION USER CHARGES: RECOVERY OPTIONS AND IMPACTS

Alternative cost recovery options for Federal deep-draft navigation expenditures are investigated and the impacts of user charges on waterborne trades and commodity traffic, both foreign and domestic (Great Lakes and coastwise), are assessed. In addition, the foreign experience in port governance, pricing, and investment policies is examined, including representative levels of port-use fees. A detailed commodity traffic analysis for petroleum, grain, coal, iron ore, and general cargo has revealed that 100-percent recovery of total Federal deep-draft costs by uniform (on vessel or cargo tonnage for example) user charges will not substantially disrupt domestic or foreign waterborne traffic levels or patterns. However, port-specific user charges can significantly affect future port development and traffic levels in certain smaller and more costly ports, and encourage port consolidation. Action by domestic overland carriers, waterborne carriers, and shippers may act to minimize any adverse impacts. For traffic which navigates both inland river and coastal ports, effects of potential double (shallow- and deep-draft) user charges are examined. In general, a vessel-based system use-recovery approach will tend to minimize impacts across waterborne trades and commodity flows as well as traffic using both shallow- and deep-draft systems.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • Anderson, D L
  • Schuessler, R W
  • Cardellichio, P A
• Publication Date: 1977-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 244 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Bulk cargo; Channels (Waterways); Coal; Coasts; Competition; Economic analysis; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Freight transportation; Grain; Harbors; Inland waterways; Iron ores; Merchant vessels; Petroleum; Policy; Port operations; Ports; Pricing; Ship pilotage; Taxes; Trade; Traffic forecasting; Transportation modes; Transportation policy; User charges; Water traffic; Water transportation; Waterways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Port finance
• Geographic Terms: Great Lakes; Saint Lawrence Seaway; United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Bulk traffic; Cargo transportation; Government policies; Inland waterways navigation; Traffic analysis (Freight)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Freight Transportation; Geotechnology; Marine Transportation; Policy; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167382
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-77-45 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1978 12:00AM