News Release
FOR RELEASE - March 23, 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
U.S. members of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – the unified and recognized voice of America’s seaports – have increased confidence today their key priorities will be addressed after passage of an omnibus spending package to fund the federal government through September 30, 2018.
The spending bill, which President Trump signed this afternoon, contains funding for a number of AAPA’s top infrastructure and intermodal priorities, both on the landside and the waterside.
On the landside, the omnibus:
On the waterside, the omnibus:
Also important to America’s ports in the new omnibus is:
AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle remarked that the new spending legislation reflects the association’s priorities for improving the “oftentimes overwhelmed, antiquated and deteriorating transportation links with America’s ports,” and represents the first step by Congress to favorably respond to the President’s infrastructure priorities.
“Ports serve as economic engines and vital freight gateways to the global marketplace for American farmers, manufacturers and consumers, and serve as critical infrastructure for the U.S. military in any deployment overseas,” he continued. “We’ve worked hard to create greater awareness among policymakers and the public for the vital role that ports play in our economy, national security and international competitiveness. We’re particularly pleased that Congress and the Administration are demonstrating through this bill that they recognize the importance of ports.”
Seaport cargo activity 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.
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