AAPA is supporting a House Appropriations Committee proposal to provide $538.24 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) in Fiscal Year 2027.

The figure remains a congressional recommendation and has not yet become available to ports. The funding would need to pass both chambers of Congress and receive presidential approval before being enacted.

Official House committee documents show that the administration’s FY27 budget request for PIDP totals $550 million. Of this, $500 million is proposed through the Maritime Security Trust Fund.

The House proposal recommends $538.24 million, including $38.24 million for community project funding. The remaining $500 million would be transferred from unobligated Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding previously assigned to the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail programme.

AAPA said the proposed allocation would be the largest amount provided for PIDP through an annual appropriations bill. The association has warned that funding provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is nearing its end, creating uncertainty over future support for port projects.

READ: US allocates half a billion to modernise ports and supply chains

Yi said: “PIDP is the sole source of federal funding exclusively available for port freight infrastructure.”

In an interview with the American Journal of Transportation on 24 July, Yi said existing federal support remained insufficient when compared with the scale of investment required across the US port system.

“This is a woefully underfunded programme. It is an amazingly important programme, and we need to keep it going,” he commented.

Yi also identified ship-to-shore cranes as an investment priority, pointing to discussions over domestic crane manufacturing and the absence of sufficient production capacity in the US. He said AAPA was examining how PIDP funding could support related infrastructure requirements.

READ: US unveils $774m port investment across network

Dredging and channel maintenance were also raised during the interview, with Yi arguing that ports require channels capable of accommodating larger vessels.

Separately, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 on 14 July.

The legislation covers ports, harbours, inland waterways and other water infrastructure managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It must still pass the full House and proceed through the wider legislative process before becoming law.

American Association of Port Authorities – https://www.ports.org/