News Release
FOR RELEASE - March 12, 2018
Contact: Aaron Ellis, Public Affairs Director, aellis@aapa-ports.org
(703) 684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Late on March 9, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced its list of recipients for $500 million in discretionary grant funding (less administrative costs) for road, transit, maritime and rail projects in Round 9 of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.
Of the 41 projects awarded grants in this round, five are port-related, although only two (out of 40 port applications submitted) are going to marine port authorities. Port-related projects will receive a total of $72.7 million, or about 14.54 percent of the nearly $500 million available. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – the unified and recognized voice of America’s seaports – has consistently called for port-related projects to receive at least 25 percent of the grant total.
Since TIGER’s inception, AAPA has been a strong supporter of the grants program. In TIGER’s first round (fiscal 2009), port-related infrastructure projects received about 8.6 percent of the original $1.5 billion allocated. Through subsequent rounds, port-related infrastructure did better, garnering 14.6 percent (of the total $600 million) in the second, 12.8 percent (of the total $527 million) in the third, 13.6 percent (of the total $500 million) in the fourth,13.3 percent (of the total $474 million) in the fifth, 12.4 percent (of the total $600 million) in the sixth, 9 percent (of the total $500 million) in the seventh, and 12.36 percent (of the total $500 million) in the eighth.
Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO, said the trade association believes it’s important for America’s seaports to be key components of USDOT’s TIGER discretionary grants program because of the critical role ports play in moving goods, sustaining jobs and bolstering the nation’s economy. He noted that direct funding for maritime infrastructure projects, including connections to ports, will improve freight mobility which helps reduce transportation costs and makes U.S. exports more attractive to overseas buyers.
“TIGER grants are one of the few federal funding programs available to public port authorities to help them pay for critical infrastructure to move and handle freight more efficiently,” said Mr. Nagle. “While we’re pleased there were at least a few port-related projects included in the ninth round of TIGER grants just announced, we’re disappointed there weren’t more.” He added, “Projects that aid the movement of goods through America’s ports should be a high priority for these federal grants, and port-related projects should be among the leading candidates. It’s also important that projects from the full range of port sizes and types receive grant awards in any future rounds of TIGER funding.”
Seaport cargo activity throughout the nation accounts for 26 percent of U.S. GDP, over 23 million American jobs, and generates over $320 billion annually in federal, state and local tax revenues. To ensure these jobs, tax revenues and freight volumes continue to grow and support the American economy, AAPA has worked with its member ports to identify $66 billion in federal port-related infrastructure investments over the next 10 years, on both the waterside and the landside. These federal investments are necessary to supplement the approximately $155 billion in capital improvements that U.S. port authorities and their private-sector partners are planning between 2016 and 2020.
The following five port-related projects were approved for discretionary grants:
About AAPA
Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 140 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 250 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. According to IHS Markit’s World Trade Service, combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere ports in 2016 totaled 3.49 billion metric tons in volume and US$3.01 trillion in value. Of that total, ports in Central and South America handled 1.71 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$941 billion, while North American ports handled 1.79 billion metric tons of goods, valued at US$2.07 trillion. To meet the growing demand for trade, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable. For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org. On Twitter: http://twitter.com/AAPA_Seaports