Maritime Goods Movement Act assists Port of Grays Harbor
Source: KXRO Newsradio
US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have introduced The Maritime Goods Movement Act for the 21st Century. This new legislation will support the American trade economy and significantly strengthen American ports.
The legislation replaces the outdated Harbor Maintenance Tax that was designed to fund the operation and maintenance of American ports, but incentivized shippers to bypass American ports and move US bound goods through Canada and Mexico instead.
“With nearly 27 per cent of international container cargo potentially at risk of moving to Canada from four West Coast ports, this trend could result in significant job losses.” they said.
“The Maritime Goods Movement Act for the 21st Century would also dramatically improve support for infrastructure investments at American ports by ensuring that all of the proceeds from the user fee are spent annually for port operation and maintenance.
Currently, only half of the tax revenue collected through the HMT each year is actually spent on port upkeep, even though American ports are in desperate need of more maintenance investment. This bill would enable full investment of fee collections, nearly doubling the amount of funds available to American ports each year. These investments support American jobs and help the economy thrive.
The Maritime Goods Movement Act has already received strong support from large and small ports in Washington, including the Ports of Grays Harbor, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Longview, and Vancouver.
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