The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) approved the Klobuchar-Thune bill (US Senate) on Ocean Shipping (S.3586) which seeks to prioritise cargo fluidity.

“The pandemic has laid bare the need for a transport system to be able to surge and stretch — across all links, from sea, to land, to rail, to warehouse, to consumer. Incentives like fluidity charges keep cargo from piling up on the proverbial ‘baggage carousel’,” said Chris Connor, president and CEO, AAPA.

”These fluidity charges are 100% proven to decrease the long-dwelling cargo at ports, which was a major cause of congestion during the early stages of the pile-ups. We look forward to seeing this bill through the mark up process and to both the strengthening of fluidity provisions and putting Federal investment dollars to their highest use.”

Cutting dwell times

As shovels start hitting the ground for port capacity expansion in America, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Klobuchar-Thune bill intends to further help the cargo system.

The AAPA said that signs continue to flash positive for an untangling of international supply chains, especially for American retail and American agriculture.

Mr Connor said that ports, terminal operators, carriers and longshore workers have been working around the clock to keep clearing cargo, including through the use of expanded gate hours and emergency ‘sweeper ships.’

But in the longer term, America’s trade infrastructure will need sustained investments greater than those in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It will take hundreds of billions of dollars for maritime infrastructure alone to keep up with the growth in trade that will drive American prosperity.

AAPA represents the unified voice of seaports in the Americas representing eighty deep-draft US ports which indirectly support over one-quarter of US GDP and 31 million jobs.