The maritime industry has faced the reality of volumes returning to pre-pandemic levels, and we as an industry are presented with the ideal opportunity to introduce a call to action. As Ports America continues on its path to develop a broad range of supply chain solutions for its customers and partners that expand beyond the marine terminals, I am reminded how critical the supply chain is to the broader economy. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the limitations of the supply chain, and the fact that the demand cycle has changed since the pandemic has subsided does not change the fact that there are several challenges this country must address to mitigate future risk to our national and economic security.
While Ports America expands its presence with additional services and investments in infrastructure, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead but also am cognizant that private industry alone cannot correct the fundamental challenges realized during the pandemic. My call to action is for the key players in our industry to unite and support a national container logistics strategy that develops a demand-driven infrastructure plan with a long term outlook. We cannot simply continue to handle all the expected growth through the existing top six to seven containers gateways and expect to deliver cargo to the customer’s door efficiently. If a strategy is not developed to improve the overall national supply chain and utilize additional container terminal facilities located strategically throughout the country, the future container growth will remain concentrated into the same traditional gateways, resulting in diminished resiliency during the next crisis.
I would like to challenge my colleagues to advance this dialogue with our elected officials to ensure we are taking the appropriate actions to create the most efficient and resilient supply chain to protect our national growth and security.