Modern, navigable seaports are vital to international trade and economic prosperity. For more than 200 years, seaports have been a vital component of our nation's economy. In 2008, the seaports of the Western Hemisphere generated nearly $8.6 trillion in economic activity, and imported and exported about 8 billion tons of cargo, including food, clothing, medicine, fuel, building materials, electronics and toys. Seaports also support the employment of tens of millions of people and generate billions of dollars in tax revenues.
From your morning coffee to the shoes on your feet, nearly everything we use comes through a seaport.
In 2007, U.S. seaports and marine cargo operations generated nearly $3.2 trillion of total economic activity.
Western Hemispheric seaports generated nearly $8.6 trillion in economic actvity in 2008.
