News Release
FOR RELEASE - June 2, 2025
Contact: Shawn Balcomb, press@aapa-ports.org
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Washington, D.C. — Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) urging them to double down on President Trump's push to restore America's maritime strength and defend two critical Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant programs.
Presently, the Clean Ports Program and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant programs would be cut from EPA's budget if the House of Representatives version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act were to pass the Senate without much-needed changes. These programs, if allowed to proceed, can be key pieces in President Trump’s strategy to counter Chinese dominance in the maritime sector. They will both support American ports in acquiring the newest models of equipment and American manufacturers in taking back market share at a critical time.
In the letter, AAPA President and CEO Cary Davis stressed the manufacturing benefits of the Clean Ports Program, which already "is creating jobs in America and giving American manufacturers new life in a sector long dominated by China: port cargo-handling equipment."
The effective, popular, long-standing, and bipartisan DERA grant program provides funding for ports to acquire more fuel-efficient diesel engines. Like Clean Ports, DERA is also subject to strict Build America, Buy America standards. This means that should Congress cut the program's $60 million funding, they would not only be hurting the port industry's ability to save on fuel costs and better mitigate their local emissions but thin the order books of American truck and cargo-handling equipment manufacturers.
Read more background on AAPA's advocacy on the Clean Ports program here.
Read AAPA's full letter to Senate GOP leadership here.
About AAPA:
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is the unified voice of port leaders and maritime industry partners across the Western Hemisphere which serve a vital role in job-creation, international competitiveness, and economic prosperity. Connecting small business owners, retailers, and manufacturers to the global marketplace, AAPA member organizations advocate for national policies and infrastructure investments in support of a resilient global supply chain and a positive impact on the way people live, work, travel, and engage in commerce.
