Dirtier ports will hurt jobs, US maritime revival: AAPA

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is urging the Senate to preserve funding for anti-pollution programs it says bolster U.S. manufacturing and maritime strength.

In a letter Tuesday to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., the trade group emphasized the importance of preserving vital Environmental Protection Agency grant programs that it said support American ports and manufacturing.

Currently, two critical EPA initiatives — the Clean Ports Program and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant programs — face elimination under the House of Representatives’ version of President Donald Trump’s budget legislation. 

The AAPA said that if these cuts proceed without Senate intervention, they would undermine Trump’s strategy to counter Chinese dominance in the maritime sector. The programs are designed to strengthen America’s competitive position by supporting ports in acquiring next-generation equipment while boosting American manufacturers at a critical juncture in the global maritime industry.

The EPA has awarded 54 grants totaling $3 billion to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports. DERA grants totaled $147 million in 2024.

In the letter to Senate leadership, AAPA President and Chief Executive Cary Davis highlighted the significant manufacturing benefits of the Clean Ports Program. Davis stressed that the program “is creating jobs in America and giving American manufacturers new life in a sector long dominated by China: port cargo-handling equipment.” This initiative serves as a dual-purpose tool, simultaneously modernizing American port infrastructure while revitalizing domestic manufacturing capabilities in an industry where China has maintained a strong foothold.

The DERA grant program represents another critical resource for the maritime industry, providing essential funding for ports to upgrade to more fuel-efficient diesel engines. Like the Clean Ports Program, DERA adheres to strict Build America, Buy America standards, ensuring that federal funds support domestic manufacturing. The potential elimination of DERA’s $60 million funding would have far-reaching consequences — not only limiting ports’ ability to reduce fuel costs and mitigate local emissions but also reducing orders for American truck and cargo-handling equipment manufacturers.

The AAPA’s advocacy underscores the strategic importance of these seemingly modest programs in a larger economic and national security context.

The budget legislation has run into opposition from Republican members of Congress who say it doesn’t do enough to cut federal spending.

Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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