Mixed results expected from Congressional shake-up
US government maritime policy is certain to change with the defeat of the Democrat who chaired the Congressional committee in charge of port affairs.
Industry insiders tell Port Strategy that the biggest effect will be in antitrust legislation.
A proposal before Congress to end the ability of shipping lines to set or even discuss uniform cargo rates "is now dead", said one analyst.
"Removal of the rate setting could have had profound implications for ports, as shipping lines might have had to change their services and ports of call. It is almost certain that the Republican who takes charge will kill the proposal."
Another likely change is in short sea policy and support for internal waterway shipping. The industry has long complained that Democrats have paid only lip service to this and Republicans say they will devote more attention.
This is good news for the Northern California ports of Oakland, Sacramento and Stockton, which are establishing a barge service to take much of the container traffic that goes by road and clogs up the highways. The idea is for container ships to offload at Oakland on to barges that then shuttle to the other two ports.
A staging area will be built at Stockton, using two cranes. A distribution centre and purpose-built crane will be set up at Sacramento, where mostly agricultural products from California's Central Valley, will be put into larger containers.
Shore power electricity will be provided for ships at Oakland.
Scheduled to start in 2012, the project has so far received $30m federal help, but much more money is needed.
