Ports address congress on infrastructure investment needs for global trade competitiveness

Mario Cordero, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Long Beach California, and Chairman of the Board of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and Paul Anderson, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Tampa Bay Florida testified before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade today, April 29, 2021. Cordero and Anderson spoke about how Congress can help ports advance U.S. economic competitiveness through infrastructure investment, rational trade policies, and reform of the Harbor Maintenance Tax.

In his remarks, Cordero discussed the immediate need for federal investment in port infrastructure to ensure that the country keeps pace internationally, stating, “America’s ports need robust support from the federal government to make investments in infrastructure that will enable the efficient flow of trade... Maritime ports create $5.4 trillion in economic activity annually, representing 26% of our Nation’s GDP. Ports are responsible for 30.8 million direct, induced, and indirect jobs. Ports exist to facilitate an integrated, end-to-end supply chain. We optimize goods movement. We build and invest. Ports serve as an engine for economic prosperity in our communities and provide access to markets across the globe for communities nationwide.”