10.4.2Segment

Coastal & Short Sea Shipping

Coastal cargo, ferry, and roll-on/roll-off vessel operators serving short sea and inland routes.

4
Verticals

Overview

Coastal & Short-Sea Shipping covers domestic maritime freight along U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes — the Jones Act trades serving Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and coastal/Great Lakes routes. At ~$10B it is led by Jones Act carriers (Matson, TOTE, Crowley, and Great Lakes operators) operating U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed vessels protected from foreign competition.

Demand is driven by domestic and island/territory trade (Hawaii and Puerto Rico depend heavily on Jones Act shipping), with the Jones Act creating a protected but high-cost market. It is a consolidated segment of a few large operators, with vessel costs (U.S.-built ships are far more expensive), fleet renewal, and the periodic political debate over the Jones Act the key dynamics.

Market snapshot

Market size
~$10B
Growth
~5.8%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
Companies
~500
FragmentationConsolidated

U.S. Census Bureau 2022 CBP/Economic Census, NAICS 483113 (coastal & Great Lakes freight transportation) — largely Jones Act domestic trades.

Business model & economics

Revenue model
Domestic coastal/island freight rates
Recurring revenue
Moderate–High — recurring domestic trade lanes
EBITDA margin
Protected but high-cost Jones Act economics
Capex intensity
High
  • Jones Act trades (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Great Lakes).
  • Protected from foreign competition.
  • U.S.-built vessels far more expensive.

M&A deal context

Moderate deal activity

Who’s acquiring

Jones-Act carriers (Matson, TOTE, Crowley)Great Lakes operatorsMaritime investors

What’s driving deals

  • Jones-Act fleet renewal.
  • Island/territory trade demand.
  • Jones-Act policy dynamics.

Verticals in this segment

  • 10.4.2.1Coastal Cargo Services

    Operators providing coastal and short-sea cargo services.

  • 10.4.2.2Ferry & Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo)

    Operators of vehicle ferry and roll-on/roll-off vessel services.

  • 10.4.2.3Inland River Shipping

    Operators transporting cargo on inland river systems.

  • 10.4.2.4Island & Remote Community Shipping

    Carriers serving island and remote communities by sea.

Find Coastal & Short Sea Shipping acquisition targets

Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Coastal & Short Sea Shipping (10.4.2) and build a targeted deal pipeline.

Search companies