AAPA Seaports Advisory
March 14, 2024
 
   
Last week, AAPA’s Kevin Traver, Vice President of Business Development, and Raquel Kibrit, Director of Membership for Latin America, attended the 2024 Intermodal South America trade fair in São Paulo, where they held a round of meetings with executives from the main ports in Brazil.

When asked about plans for this year, Kibrit highlighted the XXXII Latin American Convention of Ports, which will take place November 18-21, 2024, in Cancún, Mexico. Kibrit said “We are hard at work on our next continental event, which is already generating high interest among solution providers, port authorities and industry leaders. The ports of Latin America are experiencing unique situations and have important challenges ahead – decarbonization, ensuring harmony with their surroundings, enhancing physical and cybersecurity measures, and optimizing logistics processes. These are some of the topics we will address at our convention. A hallmark of this event, attendees will have networking opportunities with decision-makers to build beneficial partnerships.”
 
Companhia das Docas do Estado da Bahia (CODEBA) operates one of Brazil’s largest port complexes in the state of Bahia in Northeast Brazil, comprised of the public ports of Salvador, Aratu-Candeias and Ilhéus, as well as five Private Use Terminals. The complex includes the Baía de Todos os Santos Port System, made up of the discontinued Aratu-Candeias/Salvador port, as well as Petrobrás (Temadre and the Gasification Terminal), Ford, Dow Química, Moinho Dias Branco, and Gerdau (Usiba).

InductEV is revolutionizing how electric commercial, port, and intermodal fleet vehicles charge their batteries. With its proprietary on-route wireless solution now deployed throughout North America and Europe and with 18 U.S. patents and 23 pending, the King of Prussia, PA-based company is the global leader in high-power, high-speed wireless, EV charging, and AI-software-powered energy management. The company just opened one of the world’s first R&D centers for wireless vehicle charging. 

Híades is a consulting firm specialized in business development and management that uses the most advanced Business Intelligence tools to provide its clients with the knowledge and tools that allow them to achieve their strategic and operational objectives maximizing profit.
 
Organizational Development Resource Group, LLC
Liebherr USA Company
 
   
AAPA is excited to highlight a stellar lineup of keynote speakers for the 2024 Legislative Summit, in anticipation of the event next week. This year, we are making history with an unprecedented number of Members of Congress participating, emphasizing the summit’s critical importance and the industry’s commitment to shaping the future of our ports and maritime policy.
 
Distinguished Keynote Speakers Uniting for Change
  • Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and co-founder of the Senate Climate Action Task Force and the Senate Oceans Caucus. Senator Whitehouse is a champion in combatting the climate crisis and strengthening environmental protections.
  • Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, brings his expertise in environmental protection and infrastructure resilience, highlighting the imperative of sustainable development in our industry.
  • Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Congressman Randy Weber (R-TX), Co-chairs of the Congressional PORTS Caucus, will offer insights into bipartisan efforts to bolster port advancements and underscore the significance of ports in the national economy.
  • Peter Levesque, President & CEO of CMA CGM America LLC, will articulate the industry's perspective on innovation, efficiency, and the competitive global marketplace.
  • Rob Portman, former U.S. Senator (OH), will host a fireside chat with Lasse Petterson, CEO of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock.
  • Allison Dane Camden, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight Infrastructure & Policy, and Janet McCabe, Deputy Administrator of the EPA, will also grace us with their expertise, addressing multimodal freight challenges and environmental stewardship.
This lineup represents a historic convergence of leaders from government, industry, and advocacy groups, all committed to advancing the interests and impact of ports on a global scale. Their collective expertise and vision for the future will undoubtedly ignite meaningful discussions and pave the way for innovative solutions.

Register now to secure your place at this landmark event.
 
 
   
The U.S. Department of Transportation released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2024 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), making available $450 million in grant awards through the Maritime Administration (MARAD). The application due date has been extended to May 10, 2024. MARAD has scheduled a series of webinars on the PIDP grant application process to provide technical assistance for potential applicants. 

AAPA anticipates the NOFO to soon be updated to reflect the recently passed FY 2024 Appropriations legislation, which included $50 million for PIDP. That legislation also approved $70.5 million for earmarked port projects through PIDP, which will be unavailable for competitive application through the NOFO. Compared to FY 2023, there are several changes for the FY 2024 NOFO:
  • Clarifies that projects supporting seafood and seafood-related businesses are eligible;
  • Clarifies eligibility of projects for shore power;
  • Amends the definition of Small Port and clarifies how MARAD will determine that an applicant qualifies as a Small Port;
  • Adds a definition of strategic seaport and clarifies that MARAD may give priority to providing PIDP funding to strategic seaports in support of national security requirements;
  • Adds rating rubrics for the statutory merit criteria;
  • Updates guidance related to Selection Considerations based on Departmental priorities (Climate Change and Sustainability, Equity and the Justice40 Initiative, and Workforce Development, Job Quality, and Wealth Creation);
  • Per changes made to the PIDP statute in section 3513 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Pub. L. 118-31, December 22, 2023) (FY 2024 NDAA), the cost-effectiveness determination stated in Section D.2.i. is waived for all large projects located in noncontiguous States and U.S. territories. Additionally, MARAD will not evaluate these projects under the Supporting Economic Vitality merit criterion; and
  • Updates guidance related to the factors reviewers will consider in project readiness evaluations.
Read AAPA’s initial advocacy update on the short form PIDP NOFO.
 
 
   
Growing consumer confidence and market share boosted cargo shipments moving through the Port of Long Beach in February. Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 674,723 TEUs last month, up 24.1% from February 2023. Imports were up 29.4% to 329,850 TEUs and exports declined 21.1% to 87,474 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port increased 44.8% to 257,400 TEUs.

The Port of New York and New Jersey started the new year with robust volume and auto numbers. Total volume for January 2024 rose by 3.4% from the previous year, totaling 667,346 TEUs (368,099 containers), compared to 645,430 TEUs (358,046 containers) in January 2023. Autos posted double-digit gains, as 35,302 autos moved through the Port of New York and New Jersey in January, a 22.1% rise compared to January 2023.
 
Port of Benton Commissioners adopted a Financial Reserve Policy presented by staff that adheres to best practices for state and local governments and is consistent with its peer ports in Washington state. This strategic financial reserve will equip the port with options to address cash flow needs for emergencies and changes in economic conditions.
 
 
   
The Philadelphia Port community is buzzing with excitement as the largest vessel to ever call the port was welcomed at PhilaPort’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal (PAMT). The M/V CMA CGM Marco Polo, spanning 1,300 feet and boasting a capacity of 16,020 containers, arrived last week greeted by a water canon shower by the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Marine Unit.
 
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts
 
   
In a joint venture formed by Kunak and Labaqua, a network of 25 Kunak AIR Pro devices were deployed to monitor air and noise pollution in real time in 8 ports of the Balearic Islands. This monitoring network will allow them to know the origins and magnitudes of pollutant and noise sources in order to study proposals that contribute to improving air quality and quality of life.
 
 
   
The Port of San Diego's Renée Yarmy, program director for Maritime Sustainable Development, has received a prestigious Women in Smart Energy (WISE) Award. The Smart Energy Decisions WISE awards program celebrates the significant contributions women are making in the transition to smart energy, recognizing leaders across the following categories: Innovation, Project/Initiative, Leadership, Mentorship, Rising Star, and Industry Veteran.
 
 
   
Last week Inland River Ports and Terminals’ We Work the Waterways hosted an immersive interaction day to educate high school students in the area about the importance of waterborne transportation and the diversity of career paths available on the waterways. Hundreds of high school students from surrounding areas experienced visually engaging presentations at the Port of South Louisiana and immersive tours at Cargill, Inc.
 
 
   
The Port of Palm Beach kicks off the application period for its 2024 Summer Internship Program this week. The paid eight-week program offers local students opportunities in accounting/ finance/ procurement, administration, communications, human resources, information technology (IT), operations/engineering, planning, and tenant relations. 
 
The Port of Long Beach is making it easier to find open positions at the Harbor Department with a weekly Job Posting delivered by email to subscribers. Jobs at the Harbor Department can also be found at polb.com/jobs, along with jobs in other City of Long Beach departments.
 
Green Marine
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC
Chief Information Officer, Garden City, GA, Georgia Ports Authority

Assistant Director-Human Resources, Long Beach, CA; Port of Long Beach

Manager of Channel and DMPA Development, Corpus Christi, TX; The Port of Corpus Christi

GIS Manager, Corpus Christi, TX; The Port of Corpus Christi

Financial Controller, Freeport, TX; Port Freeport

Sr. Manager, Business Development (Non-Container Cargo), Tacoma/Seattle, WA; Northwest Seaport Alliance

Transportation Planning Intern, Tacoma, WA; City of Tacoma
 
 
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South Jersey Port Corporation
Orion Marine Group