Executive Interview: John Bressler, VP of Government Relations at AAPA

(Article originally published in Nov/Dec 2025 edition.)

Hailed as "the preeminent voice of the seaport industry in the Americas" and representing more than 130 public port authorities, the AAPA is a vocal advocate of issues vital to U.S. seaports. We talked to its head of government relations to find out what some of those issues are.

Welcome, John! Tell our readers about the AAPA – its history and purpose.

The organization was originally founded in 1912 at a New York City conference of public port officials from eleven U.S. ports and was called the National Association of Port Authorities. Its purpose was – among other things – to organize relations among ports, promote the exchange of information, build relationships and develop uniform methods of administration.

Within three years it had extended membership eligibility to ports throughout the Western Hemisphere and renamed itself the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). In 1914, it welcomed its first Canadian member, in 1921 its first Latin American member and in 1949 its first Caribbean member.

The association was incorporated on March 24, 1930 and in 1947 established permanent offices in Washington, D.C.

What is your role as Vice President of Government Relations?

My role is to lead the federal advocacy and messaging work in Washington, D.C. All our lobbying and communications efforts are the result of direct input from our U.S. port members. Prior to the convening of each Congress, we distribute a Policy Agenda that outlines our high-priority goals. It's not all-encompassing in terms of our policy work, but it does highlight what we're going to be most focused on in the days ahead.

We also maintain technical committees that dive into the detailed aspects of port and maritime issues and help guide our policy-formulating process. For example, the Harbors and Navigation Committee works on Army Corps of Engineers issues and other federal topics that impact the nation's ports and waterways. In the last WRDA (Water Resources Development Act) bill, we worked through that committee to draft language that was successfully included in the final bill and that increased the federal share of dredging project costs that go down to 55 feet. This will not only save millions of dollars for deep-draft ports but also boost cargoes and revenues from larger vessels.

Impressive. What are some of the big issues on your plate right now?

All our work is focused on improving business at U.S. ports and include increased federal funding for port infrastructure, improving and streamlining permitting processes, advocating for free and fair trade, facilitating international trade opportunities and strengthening the influence of ports at the federal level are just a few of the broader issues.

For example, over the past year we've devoted significant time and attention to working with the Trump Administration on cargo-handling equipment tariffs and shipbuilding fees related to the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Section 301 investigation.

While we support the Administration's goals to restore American maritime dominance, we can't let that happen at the expense of America's seaports and related maritime businesses, and we were pleased when the Administration recently paused for one year all tariffs and fees related to its Section 301 investigation. We're confident that AAPA and the port industry played a key role in that delay, which is a step in the right direction.

We're also aggressively pursuing port priorities in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization legislation – requesting $10.9 billion over five years for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). This critical program is oversubscribed nearly 5 to 1 and provides necessary improvements to ensure safe, efficient cargo flows at our nation's ports. We're also nearing completion of common-sense policy requests for inclusion in the upcoming Water Resources Development Act.

What's a typical day like for you? Are you on Capitol Hill a lot?

A typical day is always focused on teamwork. Our Government Relations team is thed best in the business, and we're on Capitol Hill every week.

Some days are spent drafting Advocacy Updates for our members – keeping them apprised of the latest and greatest from Capitol Hill. Other days are spent responding to proposals from the Trump Administration, Members of Congress or industry stakeholders. We meet often with Members and their staffs to build relationships and make sure ports' voices are heard loud and clear. We constantly reach out and respond to ports on different policy and political topics.

These topics range from the impact of tariffs on specific ports to coordinating a Member's port tour, strategizing on upcoming Technical Committee meetings with government speakers and brainstorming on a port's or AAPA's participation at an upcoming Congressional hearing. The list goes on and on.

Every day is different. The best part about working for America's ports is the learning curve as the supply chain involves nearly every aspect of business and economics and is constantly evolving.

What has been the impact of Trump's tariffs on seaports and their business?

It varies. The business of ports is to move goods, and we focus on supportive policies. Inherently, that means low tariffs and free trade. If tariffs are raised on our trading partners, and they raise tariffs on us in return, the price of goods goes up. And when the price goes up, the demand goes down.

Thus far, many companies have stockpiled their warehouses to the brim and eaten the tariff costs out of their profit margins to avoid raising prices. But that can only go on for so long. The longer tariffs stay in place, the higher the impact on consumers and the less cargo will move through ports.

I'll also note that while some ports have seen steady cargo numbers due to frontloading, others have seen severe downturns. In ports that specialize in trading agriculture, heavy metals, automobiles or steel, sector-specific tariffs have led to significant cargo and revenue declines. The longer this goes on, job losses will be inevitable.

The big news in maritime these days – aside from tariffs – is the Trump Administration's pledge to strengthen America's shipbuilding base and build more ships. There's also the SHIPS for America Act pending in Congress, which has similar goals. Is the AAPA involved in these initiatives?

AAPA is intimately involved in both these initiatives. Many of our ports are either actively engaged in shipbuilding or considering opportunities for future operations. We support the Administration's desire to bring shipbuilding back to the U.S. and ensure the U.S. remains a maritime powerhouse. There was $25 billion in the Big Beautiful Bill for the Coast Guard to build more ships in the U.S., and that's an important first step.

The focus on shipbuilding is critically necessary, but we also need to focus on investing in modern infrastructure at U.S. ports. We're glad the President has requested $550 million in his FY 2026 budget for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). But that's just a blueprint so far, and we've been encouraging Congress to appropriate and fully fund PIDP.

The SHIPS for America Act is receiving considerable attention, and Congress appears interested in advancing portions of the proposal, but the process remains slow. AAPA is actively engaged in discussions, but we haven't endorsed the bill in its current form. As written, the legislation doesn't include dedicated funding for port infrastructure, which had been part of earlier versions and was a key reason for our prior support.

We also have concerns about proposed expansions of U.S.-flag cargo preference requirements and prioritization rules that could increase shipping costs and introduce delays for port users.

Sustainability is another big issue for ports. What are some of the key initiatives in this area?

Ports are big movers and users of energy. It takes a lot of energy to power the machines that move cargo, and ports also transport energies in vast quantities whether it's oil and gas or wind and hydrogen.

Many ports have ambitious decarbonization and sustainability goals, and they're good for business and good for community policies that ports set in collaboration with their state and local governments. Ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach are known around the world for their rapid progress in sustainability, but it's not just a California thing. Ports in Texas, Florida, Georgia and beyond are adopting electric tugboats, cranes and shore power for vessels at berth. The energy ports in the Gulf see alternative fuels like hydrogen and ammonia as huge growth opportunities, and they're taking steps to become exporters of these fuels to the rest of the world, bolstering sustainability and American exports at the same time. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) burns much cleaner and with fewer pollutants than diesel, and many in the port industry and elsewhere are moving quickly towards that model.

No matter your views about sustainability, the rest of the world is progressing fast in adopting these technologies. If we don't want to be left behind with a twentieth century port industry in a twenty-first century world, we should start investing now.

Thank you for your time! Any last words?

Yes. Come join us for our Legislative Summit in D.C. on March 4-6, 2026. Government and keynote speakers will be announced soon! - TME

Jack O'Connell is the magazine's senior editor.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.