AAPA calls for halt to port security funding cuts

US ports welcomed a crucial tariff exemption, saving them over US$ 130 million in unexpected costs on Chinese-made cranes.

Ports in Washington State, Puerto Rico, San Diego, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands received US$48.4 million from the RAISE program.

The AAPA urged USTR to reverse a 25% tariff on Chinese-built STS cranes, citing increased infrastructure costs and potential project cutbacks due to no domestic alternatives.

Responding to report findings, AAPA has issued several recommendations for policymakers and relevant stakeholders to help create a level playing field and expedite decarbonization activities for ports.

MARAD, the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration unit, and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) are to survey the country’s port authorities and terminal operators in a bid to more accurately identify their cargo handling requirements, particularly for electric machines, over the next five-to-10 years.

Following months of negotiation over Congressional Democrats’ agenda, the Senate has passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the budget reconciliation bill that includes US$3B over five years to establish a new grant scheme to install electrified equipment and reduce emission at US ports