AAPA, alongside a broad coalition of business, labor, and other infrastructure trade associations, signed on to a letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation in response to a Request for Information on Congress’ upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization. The coalition urged DOT to prioritize safety, resilience, streamlined permitting, multimodal investment, and sustainable long-term funding—critical steps to ensuring America’s infrastructure supports economic growth and reliable supply chains. This comes on the heels of a letter, specific to requests and needs of public port authorities, AAPA sent in mid-August.
Read the coalition letter here.
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Recently, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Reauthorization Act of 2025 ( H.R. 4183), advancing legislation to extend the FMC’s authorities and funding through FY2029. The bill authorized appropriations beginning at $49.2 million in FY2026 and rising to $57 million in FY2029. Beyond funding, the legislation also updated FMC’s statutory purposes to strengthen support for U.S. foreign commerce, expanded definitions to address carriers linked to nonmarket economy countries, and enhanced the Commission’s powers to investigate complaints against shipping exchanges.
Importantly for ports, the bill created a new National Port Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from port authorities, terminal operators, and maritime labor, to provide direct input to the FMC on competitiveness, reliability, and efficiency of the ocean freight delivery system. Together with existing shipper and carrier advisory panels, this new port-focused body ensured that the perspectives of seaports and their partners would formally shape FMC oversight and policymaking going forward.
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AAPA recently distributed the Port Investment Survey, a critical tool that helps us present a comprehensive picture of industry needs to Congress, federal agencies, and other stakeholders. The survey is conducted only once every five years, and the results drive AAPA’s most important advocacy efforts on behalf of ports. The more responses we receive, the stronger and more accurate the case we can make for the industry’s infrastructure funding needs.
If your port hasn’t completed the survey yet, please take time to do so now. Every response matters — without your input, the national picture is incomplete.
If you did not receive the survey email, please contact Shannon McLeod at smcleod@aapa-ports.org to get access.
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The St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District has published its 2025 Annual Report, themed Impact through Innovation. The report highlights the port’s adaptability to industry changes while maintaining its economic role in St. Bernard Parish. A major milestone featured is the full rehabilitation of sections A and F of the Chalmette Slip, making the 108-year-old slip fully operational for the first time in 40 years, enhancing cargo handling and safety.
The report also showcases the port’s involvement in community initiatives, including the Family Violence Program of St. Bernard’s Give-a-Hoot trivia night and youth outreach through We Work the Waterways at Chalmette High School.
The digital report is available at stbernardport.com, on Facebook @stbernardportofficial, and at the port’s administrative building.
Read the full report here.
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The Port of Edmonds Commission has appointed Brandon Baker as its new executive director, effective immediately. Baker began his career at the Port in 2020 as marina manager and later advanced to director of marina operations in 2022 and deputy executive director in 2023. He has served as acting executive director since May, following the departure of former Executive Director Angela Harris.
Before joining the Port, Baker held leadership roles at Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle and holds multiple industry certifications from the Association of Marina Industries. In his new role, he will oversee 30 employees managing daily marina operations and commercial properties, including Harbor Square Business Complex, with upcoming initiatives focused on infrastructure replacement and long-range master planning.
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The Georgia Ports Authority announced the opening of MEDLOG’s new 291,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Rincon, Georgia, located 18 miles from the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal. The facility includes 42 loading docks, 20,000 pallet positions, and the nation’s largest blast room, with capacity to freeze up to 3 million pounds of protein per day. It is the first cold chain site in Savannah with rail siding for 18 rail cars, expanding market access to the Midwest for frozen beef and pork.
The project is expected to create over 100 jobs and generate $65 million in economic impact for Georgia, while also supporting imports of produce such as citrus, avocados, grapes, and blueberries. With this addition, the Savannah region now offers nearly 2.4 million square feet of near-port cold storage capacity across a dozen facilities.
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The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) and DP World in Canada have signed a Joint Development Agreement for the design of land-based works at the future Contrecœur container terminal. The agreement, signed on September 4, 2025, makes DP World an active terminal operator at the Port of Montreal, marking its sixth port facility in Canada.
Under the agreement, DP World will be responsible for the construction and long-term operation of the terminal’s container yard, buildings, utilities, and rail connection, while the MPA will oversee in-water works. Site preparation is planned to begin in 2025, followed by in-water works in 2026, land-based works in 2027, and full commissioning of the new terminal in 2030. Once completed, the terminal will handle up to 1.15 million TEUs annually, with construction expected to generate about 8,000 jobs.
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The St. John’s Port Authority (SJPA) has awarded its two 2025-2026 Commercial Port Users Scholarships, each valued at $1,000. The scholarships are available to dependents of full-time employees of the Port’s commercial users, members of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and full-time SJPA employees, and can be applied toward post-secondary education at recognized institutions. This year’s recipients are Ms. Madison Anstey of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Memorial University, and Ms. Hannah Pellerin of St. John’s, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Memorial University.
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The Port Authority of Guam has released a statement from its General Manager regarding protections for port employees. The statement outlines the Port’s commitment to safeguarding staff through established personnel rules, workplace safety standards, and compliance measures. It emphasizes adherence to workplace violence and drug-free policies, along with procedures designed to support a safe and secure work environment. The Port reaffirmed that these protections are central to maintaining operations while ensuring the well-being of its workforce.
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The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) announced that Royal Caribbean International’s Star of the Seas will make its inaugural call to St. Thomas on September 10, 2025. The ship will berth at the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay, arriving at 12:30 p.m. and departing at 8:00 p.m. The visit will include a traditional plaque and key exchange ceremony with officials from Royal Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, and other partners, along with live entertainment and cultural performances. The Star of the Seas, part of the ICON-class, is 1,196.9 feet long, weighs 250,800 gross tons, and can accommodate 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew. It features eight neighborhoods, the largest waterpark at sea, and incorporates advanced sustainability technologies, including LNG propulsion, shore power connectivity, and modern waste management systems.
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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has awarded a $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to support a $16 million redevelopment project at the Port of Monroe. Planned improvements include construction of a second wharf for handling international cargo, a readiness slip for the port’s tugboat and emergency vessels, and upgrades to the turning basin. Dredging required for the wharf and basin will involve removal of contaminated sediment, with the grant funding disposal costs.
Additional project funding will come from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the State of Michigan, and the Monroe County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. The project will establish the Port of Monroe as Michigan’s first maritime container terminal, with completion expected by fall 2026.
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The Port of Cleveland board of directors has confirmed Jeff Epstein as the Port’s next president and CEO, effective October 15, 2025. Epstein previously served as the City of Cleveland’s Chief of Integrated Development, overseeing major redevelopment, infrastructure, and waterfront projects. The board also approved more than $54 million in bonds to support three projects: up to $20 million for the West 26th Apartments, a $29 million residential development; up to $25 million for the hotel portion of the $125 million Erieview Tower transformation into a Marriott hotel and apartments; and up to $9.2 million to reimburse costs for The Bell, a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Ohio Bell building completed in 2024. Since 1993, the Port has provided over $5.4 billion in financing for approximately 200 projects across Cuyahoga County and beyond.
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AAPA is pleased to announce that Québec City Mayor Bruno Marchand will deliver welcome remarks at the 114th Annual Convention & Expo, taking place October 6-8, 2025, in Québec City.
Mayor Marchand, the 38th mayor of Québec City, also serves as president of the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec and president of the Organization of World Heritage Cities. He is a member of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative and has an extensive background in community leadership, including his tenure as executive director of Centraide Québec Chaudière-Appalaches et Bas Saint-Laurent.
The convention is only 18 days away — there’s still time to register! Register here.
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On October 2 (1-2:30 p.m. EST), leaders from the Port of Tampa, Port Miami, and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock will join ASCE’s Making the Grade Webinar Series to spotlight ports and inland waterways following the release of the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. The discussion will tackle funding, resilience, and operations while connecting the report’s findings to the real-world work of port authorities and waterway operators.
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Ruth Liao and Joe Deaux
Bloomberg
Retailers and manufacturers pull back on orders after tariffs spurred a rush of cargo into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
Paul Berger
Wall Street Journal
Frontloading, consumer caution weighing on volumes
Stuart Chirls
FreightWaves
Jonathan Saul
Reuters
Gavin van Marle & Alison Koo in Taiwan
The Loadstar
Worries come despite carriers’ saying they don’t plan to pass on the costs of levies set to take effect in October
Paul Berger
Wall Street Journal
Alan Rappeport and Tim Gruber
New York Times
Bloomberg
Carly Fields and Greg Knowler
Journal of Commerce
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City Manager; Hayward, CA; Bob Murray & Associates - City of Hayward, CA
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