Coastal and Inland Ports and Terminals Commerce Improvement Act

This bill directs the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) of the Department of Transportation to provide grants to the owners or operators of certain inland and small coastal port and terminal facilities, and for infrastructure improvements, equipment purchases, and capital investments at such facilities.

Eligible facilities include piers, wharves, docks, terminals, and similar structures used principally for the movement of goods, including areas of land, water, or areas in proximity to such structure that are necessary for the movement of goods, located at a port, to and from which the average annual tonnage of cargo for the immediately preceding three calendar years from the time an application is submitted is less than 8 million short tons as determined using U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data.

In providing assistance, MARAD must

• take into account the economic advantage and the contribution to freight transportation at eligible facilities, and the competitive disadvantage of such facilities;
• not make more than one award per applicant for each fiscal year appropriation; and
• promote the enhancement and efficiencies of such facilities.

MARAD may not provide funding unless it determines that sufficient funding is available for a recipient to meet federal matching requirements.