AAPA CEO Davis resigns

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has announced “the departure of its CEO, Cary Davis.”

In a statement, the AAPA explained: “Serving AAPA for six years, and promoted to CEO in 2023, Cary has been at the leadership helm of AAPA’s commercial, political, and legal matters. In December Cary will leave AAPA to assist in the 2026 Governor and Congressional elections in his home state of Pennsylvania; advise stakeholders on trade and security; and continue lecturing on trade law. AAPA will immediately begin a search for its next CEO.”

AAPA 2025 Annual Convention

At the AAPA Annual Convention at Quebec City, Canada on October 6^th, there was no indication that Davis was about to depart.

However, Davis had expressed concerns that his statements criticizing Trump administration tariffs were not making him popular with Trump administration officials.

For example, in February 2025, AAPA and Davis issued the following statement:

“The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) today released the following statement in anticipation of new tariffs from the Trump Administration: “Tariffs are taxes,” stated Cary S. Davis, AAPA President and CEO. “Though the port industry supports President Trump’s efforts to combat the flow of illicit drugs, tariffs will slow down our supply chains, tax American businesses and increase costs for hard-working citizens. Instead, we call on the Administration and Congress to thoughtfully pursue alternatives to achieving these policy goals and exempt items critical to national security from tariffs, including port equipment."

The Davis Legacy

As the AAPA’s CEO, Davis has been a forward-thinking force. Since his selection as CEO in 2023, AAPA has demonstrated increased activism. Davis and his team were creating a more dynamic image of US ports and emphasizing their importance in supporting US trade, jobs, and growth.

Davis told AJOT that he felt that while he had worked in the Trump administration before coming to AAPA, it was important that he, as AAPA CEO, represent the interests of his membership and warn about the negative impact tariffs were having on US ports.

Davis served at the International Trade Administration (ITA), US Department of Commerce. He was Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade during the Trump administration years of 2018 – 2019.

Before his selection as CEO, Davis served the AAPA as Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel, 2021 – 2024, and Senior Director of Government Relations and General Counsel, 2019 – 2021.

Davis also served as Board Member for the Propeller Club of Washington, D.C.

AAPA Ports Express Frustration with New Tariffs

At the AAPA Annual Convention in October, tariffs were causing frustration with US port officials seeking to make foreign trade zones (FTZs) a success.

Joseph Powell, Director of Economic Development at the Port of Pascagoula (Mississippi) and Caleb McMahon, Director of Economic Development, Port of Port Angeles (Washington) said that establishing foreign trade zones at ports allows companies to utilize the designated free trade area to import raw materials and transform them into a manufactured product that enhances economic development at Port communities to defer, reduce, or eliminate US Customs duties on imports.

FTZs provide a competitive advantage for US-based manufacturing and distribution operations. As a result, jobs that might otherwise be located abroad are created and retained in the United States.

In his presentation, Juan Duarte, Executive Vice President for AAPA, said that FTZs are helping ports generate new economic development in South America. He noted that China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) had recently completed the construction of automated cargo-handling operations at the Port of Chancay, Peru. The new Chinese port’s FTZ has attracted 5,000 Chinese companies to establish operations at the Peruvian FTZ so they can sell into the South American market, Duarte noted.

Pascagoula’s Joseph Powell commented that while 5,000 Chinese companies are moving forward with investments in the FTZ in Peru, the United States is falling behind China and not being assertive with FTZ developments.

Recent executive orders (EOs) by the Trump administration have introduced changes that may significantly impact businesses utilizing foreign trade zones.

These changes relate to the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on goods processed within FTZs as part of broader efforts to address trade imbalances and enhance domestic production, according to a 2025 report, “Death of Foreign Trade Zones?” produced by the law firm Clarkhill.

As a result, Powell said, processing of FTZ applications “has come to a grinding halt and due to cutbacks only two people are processing FTZ applications for the entire fifty United States.”

Port Angeles' McMahon said that Trump administration tariffs “have impacted everything” and that, after the Port of Port Angeles' successful FTZ application on January 15, 2025, “it’s gotten pretty complicated.”

Finally, a Minnesota port official noted the damage that new tariffs are having on foreign buyers who cancel orders for U.S. agricultural exports in response. She noted that U.S. soybean farmers have suffered from losing foreign markets and sales due to new tariffs. (See AJOT: AAPA US ports express frustration with Trump tariffs).