Trade and Consequences

As demand for cheap, imported goods into the U.S. grows, so does the potential for catastrophic consequences from the ever-widening stream of marine freight. The huge container ships bringing those goods can pollute port communities, introduce invasive species, and even threaten national security. Irving Mintzer and Amber Leonard look at the problem of marine freight, highlighting the need for a comprehensive, integrated national strategy to support the smooth and economically efficient operation of the U.S. goods movement system to avoid the existing and looming impacts of the expanding U.S. marine freight trade.

One problem the authors note is the continued under-investment in new technologies employed at U.S. ports, giving both Asian and European ports a comparative advantage for years to come. Problems are not limited to inability to screen all items coming into the port for potential security threats, but also include massive human health and ecosystem casualties. Freight-related emissions (from both trucks and ships) are a major source of local exposure to a panoply of pollutants, endangering health in port areas; California officials say that diesel emissions account for 80 percent of overall cancer risks from exposure to toxic air pollutants. Additionally, ballast water from marine cargo vessels make "inviting habitats for all sorts of aquatic hitchhikers," creating a range of bioinvasions of fragile ecosystems.