Washington Waves: Waterway News From D. C.

The Simulation, Training, Assessment & Research (STAR) Center is scheduled to host a listening session on November 19 to provide the Coast Guard with individual user feedback on Navita and the Mariner Credentialing Program Transformation initiative.

Scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the session is to be held at the STAR Center in Dania Beach, Fla., and individuals will need to register in advance for the meeting.

Information about the meeting and the link to register can be found on the STAR Center website.

The STAR Center will accept individual feedback during the listening session from mariner credentialing stakeholders and the public on their experiences with Navita since its initial launch in September, the announcement stated.

Additionally, feedback will be received on the next phase of the Mariner Credentialing Program Transformation initiative, including mariner training, examinations and oversight.

For additional information, use the link at the STAR Center website or contact Brian Eichelberger at brian.t.echelberger@uscg.mil.

E-Submission For Mariner Course Completion

The Coast Guard announced it will not require the electronic submission requirement for mariner course completion data until at least November 25, 2028, because the system for providing the electronic submission is not yet fully operational.

The Coast Guard said it will notify the public through the Federal Register before requiring the electronic submission of course completion data.

Since the Coast Guard issued its final rule on submitting mariner course completion data in 2024, the service decommissioned the Homeport online portal, which was the mechanism it anticipated using for the data submission.

The Coast Guard further explained the Navita, a new digital platform designed to streamline the application and issuance of merchant mariner credentials, will include a dedicated mariner training provider module that will facilitate the electronic submission of mariner course completion data.

For additional information, contact Brian Eichelberger at 571-608-2071 or Brian.T.Eichelberger@uscg.mil.

Spain Maritime, Trade Sanctions

After investigating reports of restrictive port practices by the government of Spain, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced it has determined that Spain has created unfavorable shipping conditions against U.S.-flagged vessels.

As a result, the FMC stated it is proposing two sets of remedies: (1) a per-voyage fee on all Spanish-flagged vessels of $200,000 and (2) restrictions on the import of certain Spanish goods into the United States.

Trade categories possibly facing restrictions include perfumery and cosmetics, oils and fats, ceramics, articles of stone and sugar and confectionaries, the agency added.

The FMC initiated its investigation in December 2024 to determine whether Spain is creating general or special conditions unfavorable to shipping in U.S. foreign trade by barring certain vessels from its ports, including vessels transporting cargo under the United States Maritime Administration’s Maritime Security Program.

“These unfavorable conditions have grave consequences for the efficiency and reliability of the international ocean shipping supply chain, as well as the ability of the FMC to promote the growth and development of U.S. exports, encourage the development of a liner fleet of U.S. vessels capable of meeting national security needs and supporting commerce and supporting the U.S. merchant marine,” the FMC reported.

The FMC said it is seeking public comment on all aspects of the proposed actions until December 14.

For more information about the proposed actions and to submit a comment, visit Docket No. FMC-2026-0463 at www.regulations.gov.

The FMC also stated it will offer Spain an opportunity for a hearing on this matter.

FMC Hearings

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is scheduled to meet in person and online October 27 to receive briefings on enforcement, investigations and compliance; consumer affairs and dispute resolution services; and other matters.

Set to begin at 10 a.m. EST, the in-person meeting will be held at the FMC, 800 N. Capitol St. NW, 1st Floor Hearing Room, Washington, DC 20573.

The live stream will be available via a link published on the FMC’s website at www.fmc.gov. Parts of this meeting will be open to the public with other portions closed to the public.

For additional information, contact David Eng at 202-523-5725 or secretary@fmc.gov.

New Corps Dredging Program

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is promoting an initiative to modernize the dredging of the nation’s ports, harbors and inland waterways, describing it as one of its most consequential civil works missions.

That effort includes the establishment of the Enterprise Dredging Delivery Center (EDDC) and its interim Dredging Evolution for Enterprise Production (DEEP) Team.

“For decades, we have approached dredging as a collection of individual projects—one district develops a contract, one gets awarded, and one dredge gets mobilized,” Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly said while serving as the deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations. “While that model built today’s system, it is insufficient for the challenges we face tomorrow. The American taxpayer is not paying us to award contracts; they are paying us to maintain navigation channels.”

Kelly said success will be measured not by how many contracts the Corps awards but how many cubic yards it moves.

“It is whether America’s navigation system is ready when the nation needs it,” he said.

According to the Corps, the enterprise approach is expected to produce important benefits, including earlier and more coordinated acquisition planning, reduced administrative duplication and greater consistency, better alignment of requirements with available dredging capacity, increased competition and stronger consolidated buying power, improved schedule reliability and national program visibility and more flexible acquisition strategies tailored to project and market conditions.

EDDC represents more than a new organizational structure, the Corps added.

“It marks a shift in how USACE views and delivers the national dredging mission — from a collection of separate contract actions to an enterprise portfolio serving a connected marine transportation system,” the agency said. “The effort advances the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works’ Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork initiative, which challenges USACE to reduce administrative burden, improve delivery and focus its resources on infrastructure outcomes.”