Chamber of Marine Commerce Names 2025 Champions of the Great Lakes

The Chamber of Marine Commerce is pleased to announce the recipients of the Champion of the Great Lakes Award for 2025 are Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN.)  This award recognizes elected officials who have played an integral role in supporting and enhancing the role that marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway plays with respect to growing the economy in a sustainable manner.

“On behalf the 100+ organizations that comprise the bi-national membership of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, I want to thank Rep. Johnson and Sen. Smith for their leadership, passion, and partnership in the advancement of marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway,” said Allister Paterson, Chair of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “They have done much to emphasize how marine shipping is the cornerstone of America’s dependable supply chain. Our ports, ship operators, and shippers of vital commodities are all very grateful for their support.”

As the Trump Administration has undertaken ambitious actions to reinvigorate shipbuilding in the United States of America, Rep. Dusty Johnson has been instrumental in assuring the contributions of Great Lakes marine shipping are fully understood and supported within new policies. This has included special engagement with government agencies and fellow elected officials to ensure actions taken by government will protect and enhance the $50.9 Billion in economic activity and 360,000 jobs that the industry supports across North America. His work in this regard, and across his committee assignments: Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Select Committee on China, have more than earned him the title of Champion of the Great Lakes for 2025.

“I’m honored to receive this award for my work in the maritime industry. People might wonder why someone like me from a landlocked state would be so engaged with these issues, but maritime shipping affects us all,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson. “Every state and our nation as a whole rely on the timely and smooth delivery of exports and imports, so I led and am leading efforts to keep the supply chain moving quickly. I’m also leading efforts to secure our ports from bad actors like China. A strong national security posture requires a strong supply chain.”

Sen. Smith was selected as Champion of the Great Lakes for 2025 given her work in Senate committees that include Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; and Finance; and her work as the ranking member of two Senate subcommittees: Housing, Transportation, and Community Development; and Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. As a representative for Minnesota, she consistently brings a deep understanding of Great Lakes issues to her work, and that was particularly evident in the advocacy advanced to the USTR regarding proposals that were important to Great Lakes marine shipping.

“Lake Superior and the Great Lakes are economic engines that connect Minnesota and our goods to global markets,” said Senator Smith. “It’s been my honor to work with local leaders to support this integral part of Minnesota’s economy, especially across the Northland.”

Key Facts

The marine industry on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Waterway plays a vital role in maintaining and growing economic prosperity by enabling efficient trade within North America and around the world.

As the safest, most efficient, and environmentally sustainable method of carrying bulk freight, it is clear that the “laker” fleet operating on the Great Lakes and St., Lawrence Seaway alleviates highway congestion, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports jobs and stronger supply chains.

In July of 2023, an independent study by Martin Associates was released, confirming the tremendous importance of marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and coastal and arctic regions to the North American economy. The study revealed that the industry:

• made a total annual contribution of $50.9 Billion USD in economic activity across North America,
• supported approximately 360,000 jobs across the continent, and
• moved more than 252 million tonnes of foundational cargoes that include grain, potash for fertilizer, iron ore, construction materials, and salt.

The study was released with the endorsement of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the Minister of Transport Canada, and was developed at the mutual request of The Chamber of Marine Commerce, The Lake Carriers’ Association, The American Great Lakes Ports Association, The Shipping Federation of Canada, and the U.S. and Canadian management organizations that oversee Seaway operations.