AAPA recognizes Trump Admin for port investment and congratulates FY2025 PIDP grant recipients

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) congratulates the 37 award recipients of the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants from the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) application cycle. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the FY25 awards, which will fund over $774 million worth of upgrades to our nation’s ports and the American maritime industry.

“Our nation’s ports are an economic lifeline to the world, connecting our manufacturers, farmers, energy producers, and consumers with markets abroad,” stated John Bressler, AAPA Vice President of Government Relations. “These 37 PIDP projects, from refurbished terminals to upgraded multimodal exchanges, and new state-of-the-art equipment, are tangible investments in our nation’s infrastructure. With the federal government’s help, they unlock additional state, local, and private investment while advancing President Trump's goal of a revitalized American maritime industry.”

“U.S. ports keep our grocery store shelves stocked, our energy supply chains resilient, and our export market strong,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Under President Trump’s America First agenda, investing in our ports means investing in American jobs, economic growth, and national security."

AAPA specifically recognizes the 18 AAPA member ports of Alaska, Baltimore, Beaumont, Davisville, Duluth, Everett, Freeport, Georgia, Guam, Gulfport, Greater Baton Rouge, Hueneme, Houston, Memphis, Monroe, Richmond, Tampa, and Virginia on their awards.

The FY25 awards included funds originally made available in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as well as funds from grants rescinded from past cycles. AAPA is grateful to MARAD and USDOT for re-awarding those rescinded funds. It was vitally important that these dollars not disappear. Now that they will be spent on projects from the FY25 award application cycle, the full impact of every dollar that Congress appropriated for port infrastructure can be realized. AAPA advocated to Congress, MARAD, and DOT that rescinded grant funds should be re-awarded to their original recipients or through PIDP. The result: a record high single-year PIDP distribution, surpassing the $703 million record in FY22.

However, AAPA does not take this record funding for granted. The FY26 PIDP application cycle is now open until Monday, June 1st, with $488 million available in FY26, though that number could decline dramatically in FY27 after the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expires. AAPA has consistently advocated for advanced appropriations for PIDP in the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, so PIDP can continue making critical projects America’s ports need a reality.

With 35 days remaining until FY26 PIDP applications are due, MARAD tells AAPA that multiple teams of program staff are prioritizing 30-minute debriefs for unsuccessful FY25 applicants over the coming weeks.