Page 23 - Port of Baltimore Magazine Oct/Sept 2013
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September/October 2013
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The Port of Baltimore
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he understands how important America’s
ports and merchant marine are to the
success of the nation’s economy.
“Nationally, I have authored legislation
to strengthen the application of the
Jones Act that ensures cargoes carried
between U.S. ports move on U.S. vessels
and I am hopeful that the Transportation
Committee will consider a long overdue
Water Resources Development Act this fall”
Congressman Cummings said. “Closer to
home, I was very pleased to support the
development of the University of Maryland’s
Maritime Environmental Resource Center,
which is one of only a handful of centers in
the United States, working to test systems
being developed to reduce the spread of
invasive species in ships’ ballast water.”
U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (Dist. 1)
recalls serving on the Maryland State Senate
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs
Committee that oversaw issues related to
the Port.
“I saw firsthand how critical the Port
of Baltimore is for the well-being of
Marylanders,” said Congressman Harris.
“Now, in Congress, I see how critical the
Port is for the nation, and I’m glad to be
continuing my advocacy on behalf of the
Port of Baltimore.”
Among 360 U.S. ports, Baltimore is the
top-ranked handler of roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro)
cargo, trucks, imported forest products and
imported gypsum and sugar. As Senator
Cardin mentioned, it also stands as the
largest automobile exporter and importer
in the country.
But what’s next?
How is the Port being impacted by
the President’s National Export Initiative?
How prepared is the Port to handle the
larger ships soon to arrive via the expanded
Panama Canal? And what are the major
challenges the Port faces to remain
competitive regionally and globally?
These are just some of the questions
being addressed by Maryland’s congres-
sional delegation.
NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE
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As outlined in the President’s 2010 State
of the Union address, the National Export
Initiative makes it a priority to remove
trade barriers overseas and overcome
hurdles for American companies
entering new markets. The President has
mandated twice as many exports by 2015.
“One essential part of the federal
government’s responsibility to enable
international trade is to provide ample
resources that ensure our transportation
infrastructure — not only our ports, but
our roads and rails — are ready and able
to handle an expanded flow of goods,”
Senator Cardin said. “We can’t double
our exports unless U.S. companies are
physically able to get their products out the
door. This is what makes the passage of
the WRDA [Water Resources Development
Act], which supports our port and inland
waterway infrastructure, essential to our
export economy.”
Along with the making the WRDA a
reality, U.S. Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger
(Dist. 2) noted several other actions that
Congress can take, such as: protecting
“common-sense investments” like adequate
funding for dredging and maintenance,
ensuring that funds from the Harbor
Maintenance Trust are used only for their
intended purpose, and adopting a national
strategy to incentivize U.S. manufacturing
and train workers for the modern economy.
“Especially during these difficult
economic times, we must focus on
expanding our exports to create and
retain high-quality, high-paying jobs
here in Maryland and the United States,”
Congressman Ruppersberger said.
“The government has a role to play in
maintaining sound trade policy, opening
new markets and in supporting infrastruc-
ture,” said U.S. Rep. John Delaney (Dist.
6). “My top priority in Congress is making
our economy more competitive globally,
and that will require training world-class
workers, allowing our
businesses to thrive, and
Announcements of federal support for the Port of Baltimore have
resulted in appearances by U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (at left
behind Gov. Martin O’Malley) and Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
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COURTESY OF MPA
BILL MCALLEN
