Permitting and port competitiveness
Former U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda has a nice op-ed in the Puget Sound Business Journal today. He notes that maritime industry stakeholders are concerned about infrastructure permitting. According to stakeholders, recent changes to Washington state infrastructure permitting rules have lengthened the process and created more uncertainty for potential investors. These changes can have major […]
March 01 , 2016 - Emily Makings
A really big ship and the future of our ports
Mike Moore of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association has an interesting op-ed in the Seattle Times. As many news outlets have reported, the largest container ship to ever come to a Washington port arrived in Seattle yesterday. Moore writes, While the vessel is impressive, it also signals a sea change in the shipping industry — […]
February 26 , 2016 - Emily Makings
Links: Costs of the port slowdown, Oregon's minimum wage, apples
Earlier this week, the Washington Council on International Trade released a new report on the costs of the port slowdown of 2014-15. According to the report, Washington businesses lost $769.5 million. That figure incorporates exports that were not shipped (or had to be sent more expensively by air), delayed imports, and additional costs incurred for […]
January 29 , 2016 - Emily Makings
Infrastructure and the ports
The Panama Canal is being widened to allow passage of larger ships. This means West Coast ports will face more competition from East Coast ports (see here for more). The ports of Seattle and Tacoma merged their marine cargo functions last year (to form the Northwest Seaport Alliance), in part to "strengthen the Puget Sound […]
January 27 , 2016 - Mary Strow
Opportunity Scorecard update: Washington drops to 28th
Opportunity Washington is out with the first update to its quarterly Opportunity Washington Scorecard. The Washington Research Council is a partner with Opportunity Washington on the Scorecard, which is a data-driven analysis of 50-state performance across three categories: Achieve (education quality and outcomes) Connect (transportation efficiency and reliability) Employ (economic vitality) We track 16 variables, using data […]
January 04 , 2016 - Emily Makings
Recommended reading: The current issue of AWB's Washington Business magazine
The current issue of AWB's Washington Business magazine is particularly good. The cover story (beginning on page 32) is about Washington's maritime sector and the challenges it faces (and is written by our former president, Richard Davis). Trade and maritime activity have long defined Washington. And the industry is well positioned to thrive here for […]
November 24 , 2015 - Mary Strow
October 29 , 2015 - Mary Strow
October 26 , 2015 - Mary Strow
State Dept. of Transportation releases annual congestion report
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) 2015 “Corridor Capacity Report” is out today. It takes a sweeping view of transportation system usage statewide, including some of the state’s worst congestion points. You can read media coverage of the report in The Seattle Times, The News Tribune, and at MyNorthwest.com. Here are some of the […]
October 15 , 2015 - Mary Strow