ECONOMIC CHANGES FACING PORTS AND FACTORS AFFECTING PORT COMPETITIVENESS

This is a study conducted to assess characteristics of modern U.S. ports and their abilities to adapt and accommodate constantly increasing changes and functions. Among the challenges ports face are larger vessels and berths, deeper port drafts, new and more expensive technologically advanced cranes and equipment, and the ability to move massive amounts of containers in or out of ports in a short span of time. In addition, ports face environmental, land and funding issues. On occasion, federal or state agencies create issues resulting in the ports not being as efficient as they could or should. This paper attempts to address those issues and make some recommendations. Five major US ports are studied, all of which are modern, facilitate huge traffic volumes, and are poised to function as the ports of the future. The five ports studied are the Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of Houston, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, and the Port of Virginia.