The year ahead puts our industry at the center of several major front-line issues and opportunities. With everyone focused on the current economic crisis, there is the emerging prospect of how major national infrastructure upgrades in the U.S., China and elsewhere could help improve global economic conditions by fueling millions of jobs. For the U.S., in particular, we could get the federal attention and funding commitments we need to upgrade our national transportation infrastructure for the 21st century.
We also should see an increasing trend toward viewing freight-related development and emissions-reduction policy in an integrated, mutually dependent way. After all, in the years ahead, every source of funding and every level of government will require that ports, in particular, accomplish two objectives that have often been at odds in our past: increase commerce and reduce emissions. The more we focus on this approach, the more we can advance port development and demonstrate to our policymakers and constituents that ports help deliver economic prosperity.
Business is tough, and cargo volumes aren’t expected to improve any time soon. But we have an unprecedented opportunity in 2009 to capitalize on the weak economic conditions.
We can leverage government stimulus investment to address our worldwide industry’s essential long-term needs for reducing environmental impact, increasing port development and ensuring that we continue down the path of developing the transportation systems necessary to support global trade for decades to come.