Federal tax hurting Northwest US ports

\”We\’re losing some business in Seattle as a result of this tax, and it strikes me as a very clear cost advantage that US policy is conferring on foreign ports,\” Reichert said. \”The fewer goods that are shipped through our ports, obviously, the fewer jobs they sustain.\”

The federal tax is imposed on shippers based on the value of the goods being shipped through ports and helps pay for harbour maintenance dredging. It is not assessed on cargo moving through Canadian and Mexican ports, despite the growing volume of imports that travel to US markets by crossing the border on rail or trucks.