I do not have any problem with the occasional foreign flag vessel working in US waters on a temporary basis to fill some legitimate need, or to demonstrate superior technology, so long as they hire and train Americans on this superior technology.
Nor do I have a problem with a few highly skilled foreign mariners working in the US, provided that for every foreign mariner they bring in, they have to hire two American “trainees” at the same wage.
What I do have a problem with is companies displacing American workers, solely because it is cheaper to hire foreigners (with no health care costs, no unemployment, no maintenance and cure, and no right to sue if they get killed or injured). The companies are rigging the game to hire more and more foreign mariners just because they are cheaper, and/or have less perceived litigation risk.
I also have a problem with American boat companies being expected to compete against the the very heavily subsidized Norwegians. Norway uses its “maritime cluster” of businesses like a huge welfare program to create jobs. Norway is the second wealthiest country in the world on a per capita basis because it has a lot of oil wealth in relation to its small population of around 5 million people. How is our neglected American maritime industry suppose to compete against that?
If the oil companies could, they would hire mostly foreign flag boats, because they are either better (the Norwegians), or much lower cost and have no rights (just about everyone else).
If the American boat companies could, they would operate most of their vessels under foreign flags with foreign mariners — simply because it would lower their costs, and it is more profitable to do so.
If the American boat companies could, they would hire mostly Filipino, and Mexican unlicensed crew to reduce costs. While the American boat companies will always be willing to pay top money for a few Norwegian, European, and American captains and chief’s, if they could, most of the junior officers would be lower cost foreigners (Filipino, Indian, Polish, Ukrainian).
If you want to see what would happen to the offshore industry and the coastwise trade if it were open to foreigners, all you have to do is look at what happened to deep sea. The US is the largest trading country in the world and surrounded by oceans. The vast majority of our foreign trade travel by sea. Americans own more ships than any other nationality, but virtually all of those ships are foreign flag with foreign crews.
If we let foreign mariners in to work, those of us who are still working will be paying ever higher taxes to cover the cost of extended unemployment benefits, jobs programs, and welfare for Americans who are not working.
If we want to let some foreign workers into the US to lower costs, why don’t we start with foreign doctors and dentists. We have the highest health care costs in the world, the highest drug prices, and only middle of the road quality of care. I would like to see some of these price gouging American doctors and dentists standing in the unemployment lines — while I go to a better foreign doctors and dentists at much lower cost.