The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has sent a document to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, outlining opportunities for strategic investments in seaports and related freight transportation assets, helping U.S. businesses better compete in markets.

“President-elect Trump has put forth an ambitious goal of investing up to $1 trillion to rebuild America’s infrastructure, for which freight transportation and ports are vital components,” said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle. “An enhanced focus on freight transportation and ports would help achieve the new administration’s goal of building a better economic future for America.”

The AAPA’s redcommendations include relieving traffic bottlenecks and expanding capacity by providing additional FAST Act investments and a sustainable freight trust fund to plan to build multimodal projects. The AAPA also wants the administration to establishing a properly funded and staffed Office of Multimodal Freight Transportation within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Office of the Secretary; fund a robust StrongPorts program under the USDOT Maritime Administration; increase investments for authorized marine highway projects; and increasing funding for transportation infrastructure grants to $1.25 billion per year.

The AAPA also recommends prioritizing spending of harbor maintenance tax (HMT) receipts and increasing federal investments in navigation channel deepening and widening. The organization also wants increased funding for port security and port-related environmental efforts.

“Nations worldwide have recognized the need to invest significantly in their freight networks to accommodate increasing volumes, larger vessels and be competitive,” said Nagle. “It’s vital that the United States invest significantly in its ports and freight network. America’s seaport activity accounts for over a quarter of the national economy and supports more than 23 million jobs.”

Local ports and their private-sector partners plan to invest nearly $155 billion into infrastructure over the next five years. “Leveraging federal investments in seaport and freight-related programs,” Nagle added, “will yield huge dividends in the form of economic growth, maintaining and creating jobs, enhancing America’s international competitiveness and sustaining a healthy environment.”