ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports.

Operators of East and Gulf Coast port terminals said they won’t continue bargaining with union dockworkers if it means giving up their right to invest in semi-automated cargo handling equipment.

Transportation policymakers on Capitol Hill finalized a comprehensive water infrastructure legislative package, paving the way for its end-of-the-year passage.

USDOT's Maritime Administration has awarded $4.85 million in grants to fund several marine highway projects including new cargo-handling equipment in Louisiana and Washington.

U.S. ports continued to report strong year-over-year gains for cargo handling in October.

USDOT's Maritime Administration announced $580 million in port grants for 31 projects across 15 states that incorporate multimodal improvements for the transportation of goods.

Imports at the Port of Los Angeles last month totaled 462,740 20-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs. The port also handled 122,716 export containers and 319,570 empty containers in October.

The grant is from Canada’s Green Shipping Corridor Program, which funds low- and zero-emission shipping ventures along with port and terminal equipment and infrastructure.

Port facilities across six states will receive millions of dollars in federal funding for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and fueling and charging infrastructure through EPA grants.

Justin Trudeau’s government directed an independent labor board to end lockouts at Canada’s largest ports, as it did with railways in August, to avoid an economic disruption in the country.