in effect
This is a presidential proclamation — a formal ceremonial declaration — designating May 22, 2025 as National Maritime Day. It fulfills a standing congressional directive from 1933 that requires the President to issue such a proclamation each year. It carries no regulatory or legal force beyond the observance it names.
Nothing in law or regulation changes as a result of this proclamation. It asks the public to display the American flag at homes and in communities on May 22, 2025. It asks ships flying the American flag to “dress ship” (fly a full set of signal flags as a ceremonial display) on that date. The proclamation references a separately signed Executive Order on Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, but that order is a distinct document with its own effects — this proclamation does not create or modify it.
U.S. merchant mariners and the broader maritime industry (shipping, shipbuilding, logistics, energy) are the intended honorees of the observance. Vessel operators sailing under the American flag are specifically requested, though not legally required, to dress ship on May 22. The general public is invited to display the flag but faces no obligation to do so.