Port of Los Angeles receives $70M in long-overdue harbor maintenance funding

Key Details The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allocated $70 million to the Port of Los Angeles for harbor maintenance, seismic resiliency, and navigational safety improvements. This funding comes from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF), with the San Pedro Bay complex receiving a record $131.8 million total when combined with the Port of Long Beach. Why It Matters LA and other major ports contribute over half of HMTF revenues through import cargo taxes but historically received less than 3% back for improvements. This funding reverses that inequity and reflects 2020 congressional reforms finally taking effect after a funding gap in 2025. What's Next The Port has identified over $6 billion in needed navigational maintenance and repair projects. Priority investments will target dredging, seismic upgrades, and wharf repairs to maintain world-class operations. Congress appropriated $3.245 billion in total HMTF funding for fiscal 2026, including $416.8 million specifically designated for donor and energy ports. The Impact The Port of Los Angeles generated $301 billion in trade volume in 2025 and handled 10.2 million containers, making these infrastructure improvements critical for supply chain reliability and the broader U.S. economy.