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.