June 8, 2016

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AB 2170, the bill that – if passed – would allocate funds to border infrastructure projects, has successfully passed through the California State Assembly and was forwarded to the Rules Committee after its first reading in the Senate.

AB 2170 is part of the Chamber’s overall effort to allocate funds to the Trade Corridors Improvement Fund (TCIF), which finances trade corridors (or, systems transporting goods) with a high volume of freight movement.

Why this matters:

California’s land and sea ports of entry serve as key international gateways for the $538 billion of products that enter and exit the United States, and 4.4 million jobs in California are dependent on this foreign trade.

However, California’s 7 land points of entry and 11 sea ports are heavily congested and are in urgent need of repair.  If the state invests the necessary amount for infrastructure improvements, our ports of entry can provide large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, relieve congestion and wear-and-tear on California’s highways, and provide an influx of economic activity throughout the state.