Carriers have defended rate increases for shipments out of Asia and elsewhere, citing the higher cost of operating when tonnage and equipment is tied up in the Middle East due to the war.
Port stakeholders in Los Angeles acknowledge that redecking the Vincent Thomas Bridge will impact traffic over the next two years, but they say longer truck gates and a real-time communication system will minimize disruptions.
A proposed universal tax on foreign-built ships would strain trade relations, raise the cost of doing business and stoke inflation, writes Reason Foundation policy analyst Jay Derr.
