Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor | Jul 27, 2012 12:44PM EDT
Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., said a controversial Federal Maritime Commission report shows that the U.S. harbor maintenance tax means “Pacific Northwest ports are facing an invisible blockade that is sending our business to Canada.”
Larsen, top Democrat on the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee, joined other West Coast lawmakers last year in asking the FMC to examine Canadian competition for U.S.-bound shipments.
“The Federal Maritime Commission’s report shows we need to invest in our infrastructure to make our ports more competitive and take a hard look at reforming the inflexible Harbor Maintenance Tax, which is putting our ports at a disadvantage,” Larsen said.
Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephbonney.
