American seaports are vital to the U.S. economy, providing a gateway to the global marketplace. Today, however, they are in need of critical infrastructure and technology improvements.

At a September 15th virtual press conference, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka announced that imports rose in August and the Port sees trends indicating volumes will continue to improve in September and October.

A Northern California logistics consultant was unable to book containers on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) or Union Pacific (UP) railroads for the first week of September going to and from U.S. West Coast ports and Midwest destinations.

By 2050, the effects of sea level rise will require ports around the world to allocate an additional $8 billion to $18 billion to protect their facilities, according to a new study.

On August 24th, the heads of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) sent identical letters to the heads of the leading U.S. railroads, including the Union Pacific (UP) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) expressing concerns about the quality of the U.S. railroad infrastructure and disruptions in rail service.

A Stanford University study warns that coastal highways face a growing risk of flooding from sea level rise and storm surges that cascade into delays for commuters with limited road alternatives that may be miles away from flooding.

Book Review: “The Cost of Free Shipping: Amazon in the Global Economy” Pluto Press 2020 Hardcover $99

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka told a press conference via Zoom that the Port’s July container volumes were down by 6.11% in July 2020 at 856,389 TEUs (twenty-foot container units) compared to 912,154 TEUs in 2019.

With an “indefinite” strike launched by 1,100 Montreal dockers now in its fourth day, pressure is mounting for the federal government to directly intervene in a lengthy waterfront labour conflict paralyzing the Port of Montreal.

A Tulane University report warns that as a result of increasing rates of sea level rise, the remaining 6,000 square miles of Louisiana's coastal wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta will probably disappear.