With Sen. Patty Murray’s leadership, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved funding for a critical Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund reform provision that significantly benefits The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA). 

As so-called “donor ports,” the ports of Seattle and Tacoma currently receive pennies for each dollar credited to the fund through Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) collections.  Also, the additional cost of the HMT is enough to serve as an incentive to ship U.S.-bound cargo through ports in Canada where no HMT is charged rather than through Puget Sound ports.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray (D-WA) succeeded in fully funding Section 2106 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). This section was co-authored by Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and signed into law in 2014. Murray’s funding provision, which provides $25 million for donor ports, was included in the Senate’s proposed Energy and Water Appropriations bill for FY2017.

Section 2106 reformed the HMT to address for the first time in history the system’s inequities toward “donor ports” and cargo diversion by authorizing $25 million for these ports to use for port infrastructure improvements and rebates to shippers in order to even the playing field for the ports of Tacoma, Seattle and others.

“Ports in Tacoma and Seattle are critical economic engines to our state, and we need to make sure we are doing what we can to support them and encourage job growth in Washington state,” Murray said. “I will keep working to make sure The Northwest Seaport Alliance gets the resources it needs to keep a competitive edge over ports in Canada and Mexico and make infrastructure improvements.”

“The alliance between the ports of Seattle and Tacoma is an example of the bold measures our ports are taking to maintain a competitive trade gateway in the Pacific Northwest,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. “We are pleased the Senate has stepped in to fund this program that will support our efforts, as well as those of other US ports. Addressing our HMT cost disadvantage relative to Canadian ports has been a top priority for The Northwest Seaport Alliance and we are grateful to Sen. Murray for her leadership on this important issue.”

Port of Tacoma Commissioner Dick Marzano agreed: “Puget Sound ports have taken a beating from the Harbor Maintenance Tax since 1986. Sen. Murray has courageously stepped up and thrown a counterpunch on our behalf.”
“Thanks to the efforts of Sen. Murray, customers calling on Puget Sound ports will finally feel like they are getting something for their money. That’s called customer service,” said NWSA CEO John Wolfe.