John D. McCown

Non-Resident Senior Fellow

John D. McCown is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy. He is an internationally recognized expert in container shipping and maritime commerce. Mr. McCown has more than four decades of operating and investment experience in his field. He was a co-founder and CEO of U.S. flag carrier Trailer Bridge, Inc. and also formerly led transport investments at a large hedge fund.

Transportation pioneer Malcom McLean, the inventor of container shipping mentored Mr. McCown, and they worked together for twenty years. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and is also the holder of two maritime related patents. Mr. McCown is the author of “Giants Of The Sea: Ships & Men Who Changed The World,” a book on the modern cargo shipping industry and how it developed. He advises, lectures, and writes extensively about maritime issues and his regular reports on the container shipping sector are widely read and quoted.

At the Center for Maritime Strategy, Mr. McCown’s research and analysis will focus on the intersection of merchant shipping and maritime commerce with national security.

The MOC

Trade Relies on Freedom of Navigation by Cargo Ships that Drive the World’s Economies

Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding, Energy and Resource Security, Political Economy

The MOC

The Amazing Beauty Of Trade & Its Manifold Benefits For America/Americans

Energy and Resource Security, Geopolitics, Industry & Innovation, Strategy & Doctrine

External Article

Jones Act waivers won’t sink California gas prices

Energy and Resource Security, Political Economy

The MOC

Dual Use Initiative By China Could Exponentially Increase Its Missile Launch Platforms

Acquisitions & Budget, Hybrid Threats, Industry & Innovation, Surface Warfare

The MOC

The Clear Case for More U.S. Flag Ships Operating Internationally

Industry & Innovation, International Law, Political Economy

The MOC

Trade & U.S. National Security: What Constitutes an International Economic Emergency

International Law, Political Economy

Quoted in Publication

McCown: U.S. ports may see an unprecedented 25% drop in volume by July

Industry & Innovation

The MOC

Part 2: Can the Greatest Maritime Infrastructure Project Ever Provide Even More Benefits to the United States?

Americas, Geopolitics, Surface Warfare

The MOC

Greatest Maritime Infrastructure Project Ever Still Benefits US More Than A Century Later: Part 1

Americas, Political Economy

The MOC

Dug In Positions Point To Stevedore Strike In Mid-January

Industry & Innovation, Personnel

The MOC

The Far-reaching Dockworker Strike

Industry & Innovation, Personnel

The MOC

The Clear Case Today for Globalization Preserving National Security: Part 2

Asia & the Indo-Pacific, Acquisitions & Budget, Force Design, Industry & Innovation