Balancing the economy and environment rate highly on issues that are strategically important to ports. In the U.S., funding to maintain and improve ports is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. In order to accommodate growing trade and larger vessels, ports must purchase larger cranes to move containers, make improvements in wharves, build new storage facilities and purchase new handling equipment. They have to make improvements in roadways, rail lines, lighting and parking areas on and off their terminals. Financing the capital expenditure programs entails using port revenues, general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, loans and grants.
Ports look for funding from local, state and Federal governments.