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REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
NORTH AMERICAN MARINE CONFERENCE ON SHORT SEA SHIPPING
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
APRIL 19, 2006
11:55 A.M.
Thank you, Minister Cannon, for that kind introduction. But, more importantly,
thank you for your gracious hospitality here in Vancouver.
Thank you also to Mexico’s General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine,
Cesar Reyes, for being with us.
Transportation systems are the backbone of all modern economies, and their
effectiveness is vital to economic expansion today and in the future. So I am
pleased to join with our Canadian and Mexican counterparts to discuss how we can
enhance the use of efficient transportation options like Short Sea Shipping here
in North America.
President Bush believes that good public policy begins with the building of a
stable and successful neighborhood. So when he met with Prime Minister Stephen
Harper of Canada and President Vicente Fox of Mexico in late March, he
reaffirmed the United States strong commitment to a safer and more prosperous
North America.
It is clear from their comments following the Cancun meetings that all three
leaders agree that we must work together to make our open societies safer and
more secure, and our economies more competitive and more resilient.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico are using this cooperative approach in the
War on Terror. And, I know I speak for the President when I say that the
American people appreciate both of your Nation’s commitment and your sacrifice
in this global struggle for freedom and democracy.
Through the Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America, our Nations
are working together to promote shared prosperity, common security, and an
enhanced quality of life for all of our citizens. This conference is yet another
step in the realization of this partnership’s promise.
Free trade is a tide that lifts all ships, deepening our cooperative
relationship by promoting mutual growth and opportunity. In fact, for more than
a decade now, the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, has opened the
doors to flourishing trade across our borders.
Since NAFTA went into effect, the Gross Domestic Product of all three countries
has grown more than 30 percent. And, our trade with each other has also
increased at an astonishing pace.
NAFTA has meant lower prices and more choices for consumers and higher
productivity, job creation, and expanded markets for businesses.
And undoubtedly, free trade is playing a prominent role in sparking record
growth in the North American economy, growth that we want to see extend well
into the future.
Therefore, it is critical that our transportation systems support and encourage
trade and economic expansion, not serve as a bottleneck to them.
In the United States, surging freight volumes are straining our ability to move
cargo into and out of American seaports, on and off our highways and railways,
and into our stores and homes.
And with projections calling for freight to spike more than 60 percent over the
next 20 years, it is clear that policy makers, transportation planners,
shippers, and others in private industry must work together to address this
colossal challenge now, before it is too late.
In the United States, the government is doing its part. Under President Bush’s
leadership, we are making certain that we are addressing critical transportation
priorities, and that we are developing solutions that will help ensure the safe
and efficient movement of people and products.
As part of this effort, we are more closely exploring each of our transportation
options. An increase in waterborne transport is one of the more attractive
alternatives because it is a cost-effective and efficient way to move goods. And
Short Sea Shipping offers exciting options for expanding capacity and relieving
congestion along our highways.
This concept is not about taking business and jobs from trucks and railroads. It
is a recognition, however, that we can better utilize existing capacity to
reduce bottlenecks and keep our entire transportation system moving efficiently.
If you think of waterways as the highways of the seas, then you realize that the
roadway is already built. The chain of Great Lakes bordering the United States
and Canada, great rivers such as the Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico are
just a few of the many inland and coastal waterways that offer tremendous
opportunities.
Short Sea Shipping could help move more freight in a cost-effective,
environmentally-friendly, and efficient way, while at the same time, relieving
traffic tie-ups on our railways, roadways, and at our borders. It can also help
support economic growth far into the future.
The statistics are revealing. A single barge on our inland waterways can carry
the equivalent load of 58 tractor-trailers, while a small ship sailing offshore
can carry the equivalent cargo of 12 miles of trucks placed bumper to bumper.
It is clear that our port community in the United States is now moving toward
Short Sea Shipping to solve some of their access problems. The ports of Northern
California are a prime example. The Port of Oakland is actively trying to move
freight inland to the Ports of Sacramento and Stockton via barge to avoid the
congested Bay Area highways.
Policy innovations are also helping us address the twin challenges of capacity
and congestion. Our newest surface transportation law contains provisions
designed to improve the efficiency of the Marine Transportation System. For
example, it includes many provisions to improve freight movement through our
gateway seaports and along major trade corridors.
And, on the financing front, large intermodal investments, including those made
by the private sector, are now eligible for federal credit on very favorable
borrowing terms.
These changes are critical because public-private partnerships can be important
to relieving port and other types of congestion.
The expanding role of the private sector in answering the growing demand for
transportation services is one of the most significant trends emerging in the
United States and across the globe.
That is because time and again, we have seen that unleashing market forces
speeds deployment of new technologies, fosters innovation, and introduces
efficiencies in transportation.
And while it is evident that the freight sector challenges call for pubic
leadership, private industry operates the vast majority of the freight
transportation system. That means that any meaningful improvements will require
efforts by both the public and private sectors.
In the United States, we have been very impressed at the mutual sense of urgency
and the dedication of time we have seen from our industry partners. We have been
equally impressed with the Canadian and Mexican desire to pursue opportunities
in Short Sea Shipping as evidenced by the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in
2003.
However, our three Nations need to work together to jump-start services that can
help reduce cross-border congestion. One way to do this is to encourage
collaboration and cooperation in the research and development of Short Sea
Shipping opportunities in the North American corridor.
This trilateral conference joining public and private groups from our
neighboring Nations proves that there is a tremendous audience for the
development of a North American strategy on enhanced use of Short Sea Shipping.
We look forward to working with our friends to build on this cooperation, and
help strengthen Short Sea Shipping and other transportation options in the years
to come.
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