Regional ports body says President Obama’s 2017 budget shortchanges US seaports

US President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for 2017 falls short in several aspects relating to seaports, according to an assessment by a trade association for the region’s ports.

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) praised the budget proposal – released last week – for boosting investment in landside freight transportation.

But a spokesman for the Alexandria, Virginia-based body said it was “disappointed” in the levels of funding for navigation infrastructure, port security and anti-pollution measures.

In particular, it noted reductions in funding for: the US Army Corps of Engineers’ coastal navigation programmes; the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Port Security Grant programme.

In pointing out the discrepancy between funding choices for land-based and sea-based trade, the AAPA’s president Kurt Nagle referred to “a grossly imbalanced budget”.

The AAPA is an all-Americas alliance of the ports of the US, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.