U.S. ports and terminal operators hope a last-ditch effort on Capitol Hill will send emergency funding their way as lawmakers put the final touches on the next COVID-19 relief package.
Such relief has so far eluded the maritime sector, which has been frustrated watching other transportation modes such as public transit and the airlines get billions of dollars from the previous two COVID-19 relief bills signed during the Trump administration.
“The port industry has yet to receive any relief in funding with regard to this COVID crisis,” testified Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, California, before a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee Tuesday.
Cordero, who was at the hearing representing the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) as its chairman, asked lawmakers to consider funding the maritime sector through the Maritime Transportation System Emergency Relief Program (MTSERA), created as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. It authorizes the U.S. Maritime Administration to award grants due to emergencies, including the current pandemic.
Eligible recipients include vessel owners and operators, shipyards, and ports. Operating costs for which the relief funds can be used include cleaning, sanitization, personal protective equipment, fuel, debt payments, workforce retention and infrastructure repair.