Antwerp Port Gets off to the Strongest Start Ever
The port of Antwerp handled 54,324,303 tonnes of freight during the first three months of this year, 1.5% more than in the same period last year. The further growth is mainly due to container freight, which was up by 2% in terms of tonnage. In fact this has been the best first quarter ever, both for total overseas freight and for containers. And on top of all that the previous month was the best for containers that has ever been recorded in the port of Antwerp. All this means that after the record year of 2016 the port of Antwerp is off to a good start. “The Port Authority is very satisfied with these growth figures,” declared CEO Jacques Vandermeiren.
Senate OKs Security Improvement Act of 2006
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) applauded the unanimous vote in the U.S. Senate to pass the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 (H.R. 4954), welcoming the legislation as a comprehensive plan to improve maritime cargo and facility security and maintain an efficient flow of commerce through America’s ports. “Representatives of several Senate committees took components of the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act (S. 2459) and the Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2006 (S. 2791) to develop an important new bill that promises to enhance port and cargo security at home, strengthen the federal Port Security Grant program to help U.S.
Increase in Seaport Security Funding is Proposed
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the organization representing public ports throughout the Western Hemisphere, lauded Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA) for introducing a bill in the U.S. Senate that includes revisions and clarifications to the Department of Homeland Security’s Port Security Grant program. “AAPA praises the senatorial leadership of Susan Collins, who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Washington State’s Patty Murray, who today have introduced the ‘GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act,’” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO. Nagle added that while there are DHS programs that address cargo and port security…
