Washington — A logistics expert told the Joint Economic Committee that U.S. ports are confronting multiple structural barriers — from land scarcity and dredging needs to labor constraints and low automation — that limit throughput and raise costs for supply chains.

“My blunt statement is that the United States is no longer a commercial maritime power,” the witness said, outlining what he called six major barriers to port logistics and trade flows. He said U.S. ports must improve capacity planning and national coordination to keep pace with growing container volumes.

Why it matters: Ports are a central node in supply chains. Witnesses said constrained capacity or slow turnaround times at ports can propagate delays to manufacturers, retailers and exporters and can raise costs for consumers and businesses.

In his testimony the witness described rising container volumes and the infrastructure gap: “Each year, we add about close to 1,600,000 20‑foot equivalent unit,” he said, adding that the United States has limited land to expand ports and faces expensive dredging requirements. He also highlighted an imbalance in container flows — imports tend to arrive full while many exports leave as empty boxes — which complicates equipment availability for exporters.

On labor and automation the witness said unions’ stances have slowed automation efforts in U.S. ports and that automation is a necessary path to higher density and productivity where land is constrained. He added a productivity comparison: “The United States is 30% less efficient than the global average” on ship turnaround and terminal processing time, in his assessment.

Committee members pointed to successful intermodal clusters — Memphis was cited as an example where air, river, rail and trucking combine with private logistics firms to create dense logistics ecosystems — and asked whether public policy can better attract private terminal operators and modern technology.

The witness urged a coordinated national port infrastructure strategy that aligns investment, workforce development and regulatory clarity so private operators can invest in automation and expanded capacity with less risk.

Ending: The committee requested follow‑up materials on port automation pilots, dredging constraints, and examples of successful public‑private cluster development to inform possible federal policy steps.