Sen. Roach reports Panama findings to port officials: we must respond to international competition
Published 10:33 am Wednesday, November 18, 2015
For the Reporter
Sen. Pam Roach warned port and state officials Tuesday that competition from an expanded Panama Canal and a growing British Columbia seaport threatens thousands of shipping-related jobs and the ability to export Washington’s agricultural products.
Roach, R-Sumner, was the only Western States lawmaker invited to a recent tour of the Panama Canal. She presented her findings to the Northwest Seaport Alliance earlier this month (click here for the video).
“In Panama, a second and much wider canal will open this spring. In Canada, rail capacity at the port of Prince Rupert, B.C. has surpassed our local ports’ abilities,” Roach said. “Additionally, Nicaragua will open another post-Panamax canal within a decade. Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation. I view action on this issue as an economic necessity for the Pacific Northwest and also as a strategic subject in national security.
“I offered the Seaport Alliance commissioners several proposals aimed at putting Washington in a better position for trade opportunities. My ideas were welcomed. This will be a high priority for me during the 2016 legislative session.”
Roach, a member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy, was selected by the Senate majority leader for the official visit to Panama; her travel was sponsored by the Council of State Governments, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving legislators in the United States.
