Merchant mariners are essential to global commerce and a strong national defense, dedicated attention must be given to their welfare when they arrive in ports where they may be unfamiliar with the local language, currency, customs, or environment.

The United States, through the 1936 Geneva ILO Resolutions, accepted the responsibility to support these needs. By direction of the Maritime Administration and under the Seamen’s Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-603), United Seamen’s Service (USS) has been designated to carry forward and fulfill this important commitment.

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USS provides services in key international ports across the globe, from Europe to Africa, the Far East to the South Pacific, and throughout the Indian Ocean, offering safe havens and a welcoming place of rest and support for mariners far from home.