Maritime Administration March 16, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice provides information regarding MARAD's finding that a Buy America waiver, stated in 41 U.S.C. 10b, is appropriate for the purchase of foreign Mobile Harbor Cranes in the Federal-aid/TIGER II grant for the Port of Providence. The waiver for this project involves the purchase and use of specific items that are not produced in the United States and deemed necessary for the construction of the project. MARAD has reached out to industry on the domestic availability of these items. No domestic manufacturers have been located. The Port of Providence's TIGER II project is to expand and upgrade the Port of Providence in Rhode Island. TIGER II dollars in the amount of $10.5 million will help replace two aged diesel cranes, one of which is currently non-functional, with new electric, barge-based cranes that will enable the Port to handle container traffic. Replacing these cranes will allow the port to expand its container short sea shipping operation, help relieve bottlenecks along the I-95 corridor, and support jobs in and around the economically distressed are of Providence. This waiver is being requested because mobile harbor cranes are not produced in the United States. These cranes are considered to be specialized equipment and other types of cranes cannot be adapted to meet the mobility, lift, precision, and efficiency requirements necessary for marine cargo operations at the Port of Providence. MARAD has consulted and coordinated directly with appropriate industry associations and has determined that it has been more than 15 years since cranes of this type were manufactured in the United States. It should also be noted, the purchase of foreign built cranes to complete this, and other port development projects, is only one part of the overall port modernization and expansion effort. All other materials used in the construction of all port construction projects will be produced in the United States, and MARAD has been working with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, under the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to identify manufacturing opportunities for domestic harbor crane construction and repair.