Latest news with #MikeEzell
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tax credit could boost competition among Gulf coast ports
WASHINGTON — New tax incentives proposed by Republican lawmakers aimed at protecting US supply chains from Chinese market power could also boost competition among Gulf Coast ports. The Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025, introduced recently by U.S. Reps. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., would establish tax credits to incentivize the domestic production of port cranes, 'a critical step toward strengthening U.S. supply chain security and revitalizing American manufacturing,' according to the bill's sponsors. 'I'm deeply concerned that so many of our ports are forced to use cranes manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries [ZPMC], a Chinese state-owned company,' Kiggans said in a press statement. 'It makes no sense to let our top adversary build and maintain the very equipment that powers our supply chains. The work our ports do is imperative – we cannot afford to leave that in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.' The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) sees the incentive as a counter to levying tariffs on Chinese-built cranes to achieve economic and national security policy goals. Last year the Biden administration imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese cranes, and the Trump administration has proposed raising it to 100%. 'Instead of levying unfair taxes on port development, the Port Cranes Tax Credit Act is a tangible first step on the supply side towards incentivizing the reshoring of key [container handling equipment] in the coming years since there are currently no domestic STS [ship-to-shore] crane manufacturers,' said AAPA President and CEO Cary Davis. Gulf Coast ports have been particularly vocal about the cost increases they face due to existing and potential new tariffs on Chinese-made container cranes. The Port of Houston, Port Freeport in Texas, and the Port of New Orleans all have invested in the past several years in container cranes built in China, which dominates the U.S. and international container gantry crane markets. Their rivals in the Eastern part of the Gulf – the ports of Gulfport and Pascagoula in Mississippi, and Port Tampa – see the tax credit as a way to help compete for business as well as incentivizing domestic manufacturing. The proposed tax credit 'is exactly the kind of forward-thinking support Gulf Coast ports like ours need to stay competitive and meet the demands of a modern, American-made supply chain,' said Port Pascagoula Port Director Bo Ethridge. 'As manufacturing continues to return to U.S. shores, our port is experiencing increased demand and new growth opportunities. Yet we remain the only major Gulf Coast port without cargo cranes, which is an infrastructure gap that limits our ability to diversify commodities. This legislation is a vital step toward closing that gap.' Jon Nass, executive director at the Port of Gulfport, said the legislation 'creates a path to bring new skilled jobs to Mississippi and reinforces our ability to compete globally while supporting our maritime and port industries.' Port Tampa Bay, which installed Chinese-made cranes at its container terminal in 2016 to help compete for larger container ships, supports the tax credit because it 'addresses urgent national security concerns,' said Paul Anderson, the port's president, by incentivizing U.S-made port equipment. Supply chain pain may lurk in container crane bill US targets Chinese-made container cranes in spy crackdown Ports call out 'sensationalized' targeting of foreign container cranes Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post Tax credit could boost competition among Gulf coast ports appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Rep. Mike Ezell talks key reforms included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., explains why establishing a secretary of the Coast Guard will benefit the service and better equip it to face national security threats.
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Coast Guard overhaul takes off amid Trump administration's immigration, narcotics crackdown
Efforts to overhaul the Coast Guard are gaining traction on Capitol Hill — coinciding with the Trump administration's endeavor to revamp the service to address illegal migrant crossings and drug seizures. Multiple initiatives to update the Coast Guard are underway in both chambers of Congress, and within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All seek to elevate the service so it's on par with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense, and better equip it to tackle drug and immigration interdiction missions. House legislation authorizing funding for the service through 2029 recently cleared a committee vote and aims to empower the service to conduct these missions, according to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., a co-sponsor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025. "The Coast Guard is very similar to law enforcement," Ezell told Fox News Digital July 16. "It's going to fight the narcotics epidemic that we have coming into the country. Our Coast Guard officers and men and women are going to really be able to go after that." Such missions are only increasing for the Coast Guard. DHS announced July 15 that the service had seized a total of 242,244 pounds of cocaine since President Donald Trump took office in January. That amounts to a more than 100% increase in seizures in comparison to the same timeframe in 2024 during the Biden administration, according to DHS. Ezell, along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act July 2, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the measure July 15, paving the way for the measure to head to the House floor. One of the most significant provisions in the legislation would establish a civilian secretary of the Coast Guard to align more similarly with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of DHS and does not have a top civilian leading the service. Installing a secretary of the service will "streamline some of this red tape that we've seen over the years that's slowed progress down" because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell. "This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done," Ezell said. "Coming from my background as a sheriff and the chief of police, I know the importance of coordinating with other agencies to get the job done," Ezell said. "When you have one person that's a point of contact who will put all the information out from the president, from the DHS Secretary, it'll be so much simpler." Prior to being elected to the House, Ezell served as a law enforcement officer for over 40 years, including serving as sheriff of Jackson County, Mississippi. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced legislation in the Senate in April that would similarly establish a secretary for the Coast Guard. "The establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard is an important step in ensuring our nation's maritime security is led with the strength and efficiency it deserves to ensure it can fulfill its mission and adapt to any challenges," Scott said in an April statement. "It's critical to have a dedicated Secretary for the U.S. Coast Guard working closely with President Trump, our military leaders, and the Department of Homeland Security for a coordinated, successful effort to keep the nation safe," Scott said. The efforts on Capitol Hill also align with initiatives underway at the Department of Homeland Security to reform the service. In April, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to revamp the service's organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology, in keeping with directives from Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The proposal aims to beef up the Coast Guard's force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and determine which specialties need reinforcement to expand training. The blueprint also calls for a series of changes to better align the Coast Guard with the Department of Defense's standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming. The Coast Guard, unlike other military services, does not enforce fitness standards unless personnel are attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams. The initiative comes in response to the Trump administration's efforts to tackle illegal immigration and drug smuggling, a DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital in April. "We've been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward," the official told Fox News Digital in April. "The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028."
