Commentary

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 300 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Saturday, July 19, 2008 GUEST COMMENTARY Trade, transportation: key to economic health By Louise Stanton-Masten, Ray Stephanson and John Mohr Snohomish County continues to enjoy economic growth amid a national slowdown. Much of this can be attributed to our relationships with international trade partners. The vitality of our region and strength of our local businesses hinge upon maintaining healthy trade relationships and our ability to import and export goods throughout the world. Fortunately, we have the infrastructure in Snohomish County to capitalize on international trade opportunities. The Port of Everett acts as our portal to the world, while our railways and highways help move goods throughout North America. Many local companies depend on the port and other transportation systems to move goods necessary for their survival. As one of the few deep-water ports in the state, the Port of Everett has evolved from a seaport focused on forest and agricultural products into an international port that specializes in break bulk cargoes and is continuing to grow its container business. Additionally, it imports and stores large volumes of cement that support local construction efforts. In 2006, the port accounted for 3,670 jobs and another 2,912 related aerospace jobs. Of the $320 million in income and revenue generated by the port that year, $235 million of it was pumped back into the local economy through local purchases and taxes. Nationally, seaports account for $2 trillion in trade each year and provide 5 million family-wage jobs, making them tremendous community assets. The Boeing Co. relies on national and international suppliers to manufacture parts for its 7-series aircraft assembled at the company's largest facility in Everett. Dozens of oversized aircraft parts are offloaded via ship or barge at the Port of Everett, and then transported by rail to the Everett facility, not to mention the countless trucks, trains and planes that stream parts in regularly. As the nation's largest exporter, Boeing employs more than 76,000 people statewide and 25,000 in Everett alone. Revenue in 2007 exceeded $66 billion for the company's commercial airplane and defense units. Maintaining a healthy transportation infrastructure and positive trade relationships is crucial to Boeing's success and the vitality of our region. Washington is often cited as the nation's most trade-dependant state and for good reason. Last year, our total exports were more than $66 billion. According to the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, nearly half of the state's new jobs since 1980 are export-related. In dollars, we export twice as many goods per worker than the national average. This is not just good for big business -- 90 percent of Washington exporters are small businesses. The bottom line: Trade is good for Washingtonians. Support for free trade agreements worldwide is essential to Washington's economy. Pending agreements in Colombia, South Korea and Panama are necessary for American businesses to enter these markets. They eliminate prohibitive tariffs and level the playing field for local businesses. For example, most Colombian goods are imported duty-free, while Colombia imposes an average tariff of 14 percent on U.S. manufactured goods and even higher tariffs for agricultural products. Opening these new markets by eliminating trade barriers creates jobs and increases revenues. The Colombian agreement alone will boost U.S. exports by $1 billion. A positive flow of trade in our region requires addressing our aging transportation infrastructure. According to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, transportation infrastructure is vital to the success of five major economic sectors, accounting for 84 percent of the U.S. economy: services, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and natural resources, and transportation providers. Locally, this means tackling congestion and improving safety on U.S. 2, I-90, I-5, Highway 99 and other freight corridors, and increasing capacity on railways. The rail corridor between Everett and Wenatchee is the most congested in the area and will be significantly over-capacity by 2012. Highway, railway and port congestion drives up the cost of doing business and our cost of living. We must continue to find innovative ways to leverage traditional and non-traditional funding sources for critical infrastructure improvements to keep our goods moving. One opportunity comes next year with the federal government's reauthorization of its six-year surface transportation authorization bill. Congress will need to find additional revenue for our system and encourage other funding strategies such as tolling, congestion pricing and public-private partnerships. The Everett Area Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will explore these topics Monday at a Trade & Transportation conference in Everett. We invite anyone interested to join us for this important discussion. For more information call 425-257-3222 or visit www.everettchamber.com. Louise Stanton-Masten is president & CEO of the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce; Ray Stephanson is mayor of the city of Everett; John Mohr is executive director of the Port of Everett.

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