Industries › Transportation and Warehousing › Water Transportation
NAICS 483Subsector0.0% of all approvals
SBA loans for water transportation
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses SBA classifies under NAICS 483, with the lenders and states behind them.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
SBA approved 79 loans to businesses in water transportation (NAICS 483) in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $47.3M: 73 under 7(a) and 6 under 504.
That is 0.0% of all approvals. Set against the 1,790 establishments the Census Bureau counts in the industry, it comes to 44.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments; across all industries the figure is 41.0.
In FY2025 there were 14 approvals, down 12% on FY2024. The median 7(a) approval was $150K, against $190K for all industries, and 2.5% of approvals went to franchise businesses.
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 9.1% as charged off, above the 6.6% for all industries.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Volume by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | 7(a) approvals | 7(a) dollars | Median 7(a) | 504 approvals | 504 dollars | All approvals | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 5 | $3.4M | $130K | 2 | — | 7 | 17 |
| FY2025 | 14 | $3.1M | $150K | 0 | — | 14 | 51 |
| FY2024 | 14 | $4.5M | $83K | 2 | — | 16 | 185 |
| FY2023 | 18 | $6.2M | $280K | 1 | — | 19 | 137 |
| FY2022 | 14 | $3.3M | $75K | 1 | — | 15 | 231 |
| FY2021 | 13 | $21.2M | $1.5M | 2 | — | 15 | 154 |
| FY2020 | 6 | $1.9M | $226K | 0 | — | 6 | 63 |
| FY2019 | 16 | $15.3M | $425K | 1 | — | 17 | 644 |
| FY2018 | 5 | $4.1M | $500K | 2 | — | 7 | 55 |
| FY2017 | 14 | $5.5M | $75K | 0 | — | 14 | 71 |
| FY2016 | 6 | $2.0M | $250K | 2 | — | 8 | 47 |
SBA records the NAICS code in force when a loan was approved. The 2022 NAICS revision renumbered parts of retail trade and information, so some lines of business appear under one code before FY2023 and another after. FY2016–FY2020 approvals under this code: 52.
Within this subsector
| NAICS | Industry group | Approvals, FY2021–FY2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4831 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation | 40 | 50.6% |
| 4832 | Inland Water Transportation | 39 | 49.4% |
Lenders most active in this industry
By number of approvals, FY2021–FY2025; 42 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 8 | $540K | 10.1% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 7 | $548K | 8.9% | |
| 3 | Paradise BankBoca Raton, FL | 6 | $8.8M | 7.6% | |
| 4 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 4 | $2.1M | 5.1% | |
| 5 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 4 | $1.2M | 5.1% | |
| 6 | New Orleans Regional Business Development Loan CorporationNew Orleans, LA · CDC | 3 | $4.8M | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 3 | $4.5M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 3 | $630K | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Stearns Bank National AssociationSaint Cloud, MN | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 11 | Business Resource Capital Specialty BIDCO, Inc.New Orleans, LA | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Washington Trust BankSpokane, WA | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 14 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 15 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 16 | US Eagle FCUAlbuquerque, NM | 1 | — | 1.3% | |
| 17 | Empire State Certified Development CorporationLatham, NY · CDC | 1 | — | 1.3% | |
| 18 | Truist BankCharlotte, NC | 1 | — | 1.3% | |
| 19 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 1 | — | 1.3% | |
| 20 | Alaska Growth Capital BIDCO, Inc.Anchorage, AK | 1 | — | 1.3% |
States
| # | State of the business | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 16 | $11.6M | 20.3% | |
| 2 | Louisiana | 8 | $11.9M | 10.1% | |
| 3 | New Jersey | 8 | $5.4M | 10.1% | |
| 4 | California | 6 | $1.7M | 7.6% | |
| 5 | New York | 6 | $988K | 7.6% | |
| 6 | Washington | 5 | $1.8M | 6.3% | |
| 7 | Alaska | 4 | $2.7M | 5.1% | |
| 8 | Ohio | 4 | $1.2M | 5.1% | |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 3 | $725K | 3.8% | |
| 10 | Virginia | 3 | $65K | 3.8% | |
| 11 | Texas | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Maryland | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Georgia | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 14 | Alabama | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 15 | Minnesota | 1 | — | 1.3% |
Franchise brands
2.5% of approvals carried a franchise code.
| # | Brand | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sea Tow Services | 2 | 2.5% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less21.5%17
- $50,001 to $150,00026.6%21
- $150,001 to $350,00010.1%8
- $350,001 to $1 million25.3%20
- $1 million to $2 million8.9%7
- Over $2 million7.6%6
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old64.6%51
- New business, 2 years or less24.1%19
- Startup, loan funds will open the business10.1%8
- Change of ownership1.3%1
Charge-offs against all industries
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | This industry, 7(a) | All 7(a) | This industry, 504 | All 504 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 141 | 639,905 | 24 | 85,591 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 20 | 79,313 | 4 | 12,514 |
| Disbursed loans | 121 | 560,592 | 20 | 73,077 |
| Paid in full | 96 | 435,813 | 14 | 35,491 |
| Charged off | 11 | 36,891 | 1 | 905 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 14 | 87,888 | 5 | 36,681 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 9.1% | 6.6% | too few loans | 1.2% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 1.2% | 2.5% | too few loans | 0.9% |
| Dollars charged off | $983K | $5.70bn | — | $499M |
Against all industries
| FY2021–FY2025 | NAICS 483 | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $1.1M | $657K |
| Average approval | $598K | $573K |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 44.1 | 41.0 |
| Approvals to franchise businesses | 2.5% | 11.2% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 9.6 | 10.5 |
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans for water transportation?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (8), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (7), Paradise Bank (6), KeyBank National Association (4), The Huntington National Bank (4). 42 lenders had at least one.
How large are typical SBA loans for water transportation?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K and the median 504 approval $1.1M; the average across both programs was $598K.
What share of SBA loans for water transportation are charged off?
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, 9.1% are recorded as charged off, against 6.6% for all industries.
Which states have the most SBA loans for water transportation?
Florida (16), Louisiana (8), New Jersey (8), California (6), New York (6).
Is SBA lending for water transportation rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 49, against 36 in the three before: rising (+36%).
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Establishment counts are from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns 2023, which leaves out most farms, government and businesses without employees. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error