American ports will gain nearly a half-billion dollars in federal funding “to restore American maritime dominance and revitalize American ports, shipyards and maritime capabilities,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said Thursday.According to DOT, the goal of the grant program is to “modernize America’s ports and strengthen our supply chains, helping reduce time and costs for shippers, and drive down the cost of goods for American families.”It will be available to the more than 300 U.S. ports operated by states, counties, municipalities, and private corporations, and will support projects that:Improve ports’ ability to load and unload goodsStreamline supply chain movementsModernize ports’ infrastructure and operationsSupport America’s vibrant seafood and seafood-related businessesMore specifically, the funding of $488,628,000 will be awarded through the DOT Maritime Administration (MARAD)’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). Most of the money ($450 million) comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and a small portion comes from the Congressional spending bill called the FY 2026 Appropriations Act.To apply for funding, applicants are encouraged to submit eligible projects as soon as possible, but must do so by June 27. Criteria include priorities for projects located in Qualified Opportunity Zones, projects that incorporate innovative technology, and projects that support national multimodal freight goals.The PIDP program will also allocate at least 25% of the available funding—totaling $122,157,000—for “Small Projects at Small Ports.” Eligible applicants include port authorities, states, local governments, indigenous Tribal nations, counties, and other entities.
