The American Association of Port Authorities asked not to cut the federal resources allocated to ports

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The American Association of Port Authorities (Aapa) has , the Board of 12 members created a month ago by President Obama and the U.S. Congress as part of raising the roof of the U.S. federal debt decided by the Budget Control Act of last August 2, asking to consider the benefits that result from use of scarce federal resources for the development of port activities.

The U.S. ports - said the president and chief executive of the GPA, Kurt Nagle - "facilitate trade and commerce, create jobs, help secure our borders, support our military and work as guardians of valuable resources coastal environment. Ports are essential for economic prosperity and federal funding for ports generate dividends for our nation. "

"Since the commission is studying ways to reduce spending - Nagle said in the letter - we believe it is essential to focus scarce federal resources in those areas that may have the greatest impact on economic growth, creating jobs and long immediate term, national security and our current and future competitiveness in the global economy. "

The association of North American ports remember that almost one third of gross domestic product in the United States is generated from international trade and that 99% of U.S. foreign trade takes place through ports. "These ports - Nagle highlighted in the letter - are the vital link of land and coastal infrastructure linking farmers and American producers with foreign markets and provide access to imports of raw materials, components and consumer goods that are a fundamental part of U.S. industry and our standard of living. "

"The federal government - has again highlighted Nagle - is given the constitutional responsibility of maintaining and improving the infrastructure that allows the flow of trade and much of the infrastructure in and around ports, has been neglected for too long.The federal surface transportation programs have largely ignored the mobility of goods and the importance of intermodal connectors that provide the link between the Federal highway and marine terminals that move goods from land to water. On the seaward side, the funds raised since its creation in 1986 by the Harbor Maintenance Tax were increasingly diverted from their specific purpose of maintaining federal navigation channels to the authorized depth and width ".

Nagle also noted that since 11 September 2001 ports have done their part to strengthen the borders against terrorist threats and to protect people, goods and equipment, and expressed concern about recent proposals to remove the funding for programs security.