The future of US ports

Moran Shipping Agencies Inc. is a shipping company founded in 1937 by James F. Moran. It is located in more than 10 states in the US. Visiting Moran shipping agency was highly interesting because we had the chance to experience their real know-how and work through discovering their trade processes.

We all know that shipping is very important in the international trade system to exchange goods between companies and countries. Seaports are serving as an important economic lifeline by bringing goods and services to people around the world. In 2010, America’s seaports supported an estimated 9.2 million jobs and handled 99 % of our America’s overseas cargo (more than $5.5 billion worth of goods each day, or a quarter of our US GDP).

The rapidly increasing size of cargo and cruise ships, new trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea and President Obama’s National Export Initiative that seeks to double U.S. exports by 2015, all will require the federal government to increase infrastructure spending to support these efforts. Seaports are essential to international trade and keeping the economy strong, but projects to improve them take years to plan and build. Individual seaports are making the necessary investments in their facilities so they can continue to support the U.S. economy, but they can’t do it alone.

In order to ensure US long-term economic growth, policymakers need to make America’s seaports a priority. Failure to improve ports and related infrastructure will definitely affect US global competitiveness. In order to accommodate larger ships, increase trade and a growing population, investments are critical to renovating and maintaining federal navigation channels and goods connectors and transportation corridors.  Without them, the U.S. will continue to fall short among global competitors.