Associations

Founded in 1912, AAPA today represents 140 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 300 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. The volume of cargo shipped by water is expected to dramatically increase by 2020 and the number of passengers traveling through seaports will continue to grow. To meet these demands, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable.

The American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA) is an organization representing the interests of the public port authorities on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. The organization works to inform and influence public policies, primarily at the federal level, that foster maritime commerce and related employment in the Great Lakes region.

The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) is the leading professional engineering society for engineers, scientists and allied professionals who conceive, design, develop, test, construct, outfit, operate and maintain complex naval and maritime ships, submarines and aircraft and their associated systems and subsystems.  ASNE also serves the educators who train the professionals, researchers who develop related technology, and students who are preparing for the profession.  Society activities provide support for the U.S. Navy; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army. ASNE is the seventh oldest technical society in the United States.  It was founded in 1888 by a group of naval engineering pioneers, most of them officers of the U.S. Navy’s Engineering Corps, who sought a unified approach to their profession in order to make the most of new advances in technology.

The Association of Canadian Port Authorities was founded in 1958 and groups together ports and related marine interests into one national association. ACPA represents all Canadian Port Authorities, various government entities and companies doing business in the marine sector, and is the leading Association for the advocacy and advancement of the Canadian Port Industry. ACPA members contribute significantly to the local, regional and national economy of Canada, responsible for over 250,000 direct and indirect jobs and handling over $162 billion worth of goods annually.

The BC Marine Terminal Operators Association is the voice of marine terminals in British Columbia. It is dedicated to safe, high quality and reliable movement of goods through B.C.’s ports. Established in November 1963, the BC Marine Terminal Operators Association has been actively engaged with all stakeholders to ensure that Canada’s Pacific Gateway delivers sustainable, competitive terminal capacity to meet Canada’s growing international trade in exports and imports.

The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) is a province-wide, voluntary, multi-employer waterfront organization, the BCMEA represents 55 customer-members. They include ship owners, agents, and stevedores, as well as terminal operators throughout the container, cruise ship, bulk and breakbulk sectors.

The BCMEA provides its customer-members with support and services related to labour relations, dispatch services, training and recruitment, payroll and IT functions, safety consulting, government relations, disability claims management and recover-at-work programs, as well as data analytics.

The Canadian Ferry Association is the national voice of ferries in Canada. Our members operate with the highest professional and operational standards and promote the safe operation of ferry services in Canada. CFOA joins eleven other Canadian and American marine industry associations as non-voting members of Green Marine Management Corporation.

The Canadian Marine Pilots’ Association was founded in 1966 to foster public awareness of the role of marine pilots in protecting public safety and the environment, and to work with other marine stakeholders to ensure a vibrant and healthy marine sector. The CMPA represents virtually all of Canada’s 400 pilots. As a national body, the CMPA is concerned with all marine issues as they affect pilots – whether expressed through legislation, regulation, policy reviews or industry consultations.

The Chamber of Marine Commerce is a bi-national association that represents more than 130 marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as domestic and international ship owners. The Chamber has merged with the Canadian Shipowners Association, combining resources to advocate for an efficient regulatory climate that promotes a strong and competitive marine industry for the benefit of all industry stakeholders throughout the bi-national Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region and along the eastern seaboard and northern coasts.  Based in Ottawa, Canada, the merged entity will continue to be called the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Based in Washington DC, the Chamber of Shipping of America is a nonprofit US national ship owners’ trade association with 34 member companies. It focuses on compliance programs for large oceangoing ships for both existing and future regulatory initiatives. The issues are worked at the international level (International Maritime Organization) as well as US federal and state levels, including the coast guard (USCG), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia represents vessel owners, operators and shipping agencies engaged in international trade through Canada’s Pacific gateway.  The association fosters the development of collaborative solutions and promotes the development of effective and responsive legislation that continues to support a robust and sound shipping industry.

The mandate of the Council of Marine Carrier is to further the interests and to conserve the rights of members of the Council and to promote their general welfare. The Council’s role is to formulate and advocate policies, legislation and regulations that are beneficial to the tug and barge industry. The Council of Marine Carriers represents the membership in all matters before the appropriate governmental and industrial agencies.

The Florida Ports Council is a non-profit corporation that serves as the professional association for Florida’s fifteen public seaports and their management. The council is governed by a board of directors comprised of the fifteen port directors. Its support staff is based in Tallahassee. The council provides advocacy, leadership and information on seaport-related issues before the legislative and executive branches of the state and federal government.

Florida’s network of seaports is one of the state’s greatest economic assets, positively affecting every region and every resident. Whether moving upwards of a hundred million tonnes of cargo annually or millions of cruise passengers, Florida’s seaports generate and support a vast array of commerce. The Florida Ports Council believes a strong, strategic public/private partnership between Florida’s ports and the state and local levels of government will enable these diverse seaports to continue their significant economic contributions to every region of the state.

FuturePorts is an advocacy organization whose members represent a broad range of goods movement industry businesses operating throughout the Southern California region. Members range from small to large companies in the goods movement supply chain sector, from engineering and construction companies and their suppliers, to labor, and transportation providers. Members are united in their support for sustainable growth of the Southern California Ports.

The International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada mission is to promote the interests of shipowners/operators with a presence in Canada. ISAC’s role is to monitor relevant marine policy and legislative developments and represent its members’ interests before the federal and provincial governments of Canada as well as other national and international organizations and regulatory authorities.

The Michigan Aggregates Association promotes best practices for safe and efficient aggregate production, responsible environmental stewardship and reasonable material specifications for our members. Through community involvement, the association educates the public and creates a sustainable industry for future generations by providing materials used by Michigan citizens in their daily lives.

NAMEPA is an independent, marine industry-led association that engages maritime businesses, government and the public to “Save our Seas” by promoting sound environmental practices. NAMEPA operates as a non-governmental organization committed to preserving the marine environment by educating seafarers, port communities and students about the need and strategies for protecting this important global resource

The North Atlantic Ports Association Inc. was founded in New York City by a group of port and terminal operators meeting at the Biltmore Hotel on March 4, 1949. The association was created to discuss common issues among seaports and that continues to be its role. One of the oldest and most active of associations of this kind, it has approximately 100 members. They are all connected to seaports and ocean commerce in some way and include: terminal operators, stevedores, port authorities, governmental agencies, non-profits, consultants, academics, maritime lawyers, ships’ agents – all located between Virginia and the Canadian Maritimes. Our member ports are in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Norfolk and many other points between. The members are interested in expanding trade among nations and in helping their local communities to prosper through increased ocean commerce. By joining forces under the umbrella of the North Atlantic Ports Association, the members are better able to fulfil their responsibilities of efficiency, fairness, safety, stewardship, regulatory compliance, ethics and preparedness for the future.

The Shipping Federation of Canada, incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1903, is the association that represents and promotes the interests of the owners, operators and agents of ships involved in Canada’s world trade. The Federation’s member companies are involved in all sectors of the shipping industry, including dry bulk, liquid bulk, container and cruise. The Federation’s key activities are to provide advocacy for the ocean shipping industry; offer operational support to its membership; disseminate information to members, governments and the general public; and provide training to members and other industry stakeholders.

SNAME is an internationally recognized non-profit, professional society of individual members serving the maritime and offshore industries and their suppliers. For many, SNAME has been essential to career development and success in the industry. With more than 6,000 members around the world in 85 countries, SNAME is THE International Community for Maritime and Ocean Professionals!

Since 1985, SODES has been a key player in promoting the St. Lawrence region’s economic activity and growth. It advocates on behalf of the marine community by representing its interests and projects in all forums and before all bodies concerned with the St. Lawrence region’s economic future. By working with its numerous members from various backgrounds, SODES strives to further the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence.

St. Lawrence Shipoperators’ mission is to represent and promote the interests of Canadian shipoperators in order to support their growth and develop shipping on the St. Lawrence River.

The USGLSA was established in 1956 to support the work of U.S. vessel agents. Originally based in Chicago, the Association now handles vessel agent issues throughout the entire U.S. Great Lakes – from Duluth, MN to the U.S. Seaway locks in Massena, NY. The Association stays current on regulatory, legislative, and operations policy changes as they may impact commercial vessel operations in the Great Lakes. The Association is active in monitoring programs, regulations and issues.

The Washington Maritime Federation is comprised of maritime, economic development and business organizations that have come together to support the maritime industry. By bringing together these representatives and supporters of the many diverse segments of the maritime industry, and the greater business community at large, the Washington Maritime Federation will build consensus, provide a unified voice for the industry and join together to drive change in matters of common interest.

The Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) promotes the interests of the port community through effective government relations, ongoing education, and strong advocacy programs.

Today with nearly 200 members representing more than 2,000 sustainable development actors in port cities throughout nearly 50 countries on five continents, the AIVP continues to advance operational and strategic thinking on the modalities of the relationship between a city and a port, and between a port and a city. AIVP supports its members in the implementation of new strategies to enable them to better face announced changes that affect the economic, social and environmental development of the port city: urban-port integration, global reorganization of economic channels, the challenge of societal integration, climate change, energy transition, dynamics of the cruise market, etc.