Short Sea Shipping Tax Exemption Act of 2005

H.R. 3319, the Short Sea Shipping Tax Exemption Act of 2005, proposes to eliminate the harbor maintenance tax for cargo transported by ship between ports within the United States mainland. By removing this tax, the bill aims to make domestic water transportation more cost-competitive with trucking and rail. For citizens, this change is intended to reduce highway congestion and lower long-term road maintenance costs by encouraging businesses to move heavy freight off of interstate highways and onto coastal shipping routes.