AAPA Announces Second Annual Ports Day

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has announced that its entire membership in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean will celebrate Western Hemisphere Ports Day on Tuesday, April 4.

On this annual celebration, the association will recognize the industry’s role in supporting job creation and propelling the economies of the nations they serve across the Americas. As a center for economic and logistical activity, U.S. seaports support more than 23 million U.S. jobs, and their cargo activities provide $321 billion in annual federal, state and local tax revenue.

Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO, said: “Ports Day is part of an ongoing commitment to remind our policymakers, policy influencers and the public about the important role ports play in facilitating the movement of trade and linking their nations to the global economy.”

Combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere ports in 2015 totaled 3.45 billion metric tons in volume and $3.36 trillion in value. Of that total, ports in Central and South America handled 1.69 billion metric tons of cargo valued at $1.15 trillion, while North American ports handled 1.76 billion metric tons of goods, valued at $2.21 trillion.

“Seaports of the Western Hemisphere are job creators and stimulators that deliver prosperity around the globe,” said Nagle. “However, we must take a moment to reflect on the needs of our industry and make plans today to address the infrastructure enhancements that make goods movement possible for tomorrow. It’s critical that wise investments are made to our transportation infrastructure to ensure that our industry can continue to make a valuable contribution to the economy.”