Buttigieg doles out $241M to US ports to boost supply chain

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, center, is shown the ongoing improvements to the Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City Terminal during a tour, Friday, Dec., 17, 2021 in Savannah, Ga. Buttigieg used the visit to highlight the coordination with the his department and the Georgia Ports Authority to improve its cargo flow. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is awarding more than $241 million in grants to bolster U.S ports, part of the Biden administration’s near-term plan to address America’s clogged supply chain with infrastructure improvements to speed the flow of goods.

The transportation money is being made available immediately to 25 projects in 19 states. Next year, the amount of money for port improvements will nearly double to $450 million in grants annually for five years under President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure law.

“U.S. maritime ports play a critical role in our supply chains,” Buttigieg said with Thursday’s announcement. “These investments in our nation’s ports will help support American jobs, efficient and resilient operations and faster delivery of goods to the American people.”