ITDS Effectiveness Could be Hampered by Port Capacity and Infrastructure Issues, Says White House Official
The efficiency gains made through the International Trade Data System (ITDS) may be limited by port congestion issues unless quickly addressed, said Nathaniel Loewentheil, a policy advisor with the White House National Economic Council. Loewentheil discussed the issue during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness on June 23. While the implementation of ITDS in December 2016 will streamline the importing and exporting processes, the system won't be as effective unless these problems at the ports are addressed first, he said. Loewentheil discussed solutions to port congestion and inadequate infrastructure, and how far the federal budget will stretch to fund these changes, during the meeting.
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Among the biggest challenges for the ports is the volume and size of the ships exceeding the limits of the port capacity. Increased investment in port capacity and infrastructure is crucial to resolve the port congestion issues, said Loewentheil. Other problems identified in the meeting were the capacity of the infrastructure, coordination problems, port construction permitting issues, and connectors transporting goods between the highways and the ports.
The solutions to the ports’ challenges must be specifically tailored to each individual port experiencing delayed freight movement, he said. Certain infrastructure decisions will be prioritized over others because some ports’ needs demand more immediate attention from federal investment, said Loewentheil. Resolving the ports’ capacity and infrastructure problems to expedite shipments will require bipartisan solutions to improve this matter of national interest, Loewentheil said.