National Port Planning

Abstract

A systemwide analysis of the capacity of U.S. ports is needed to ensure that the United States can handle forecast volumes of trade. Long resisted by the port industry, such an analysis should be viewed from a capacity deficit rather than a capacity surplus perspective. Port capacity should be examined from different temporal perspectives—the short-term capability to respond to an interruption in the supply chain and the ultimate capacity to handle the nation's long-range trade forecast. This information is vital in understanding the elasticities in the port system to recover quickly from a natural disaster or terrorist event and to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support long-term growth projections. Environmental and infrastructure constraints in the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, California, might prevent the nation's largest port complex from developing needed facilities in time to accommodate trade forecasts. This paper addresses the implications of port growth for the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and how decisions made to address cargo growth there can have national repercussions. Only through national port planning can the systemwide implications of locally based decisions be understood.