U.S. ports request $3.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds
In a joint plea to Congressional leadership and Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin this week, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) — the unified and collective voice of America’s seaports — and a host of other maritime transportation entities, asked that $3.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funding be made available for the U.S. maritime transportation sector, citing “significant hardships” and “unique and unexpected challenges” posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letters ask Congress and the Administration to take immediate action to provide the whole of the maritime transportation system with the resources necessary to combat the virus and ensure the safety and security of the industry’s sizable workforce. According to the AAPA, more than 650,000 port workers are on the “COVID frontlines.”