For the Reporter

State Sen. Pam Roach, R-Sumner, leads a delegation to Mira Flores and Colon, Panama on April 18-19, part of a fact-finding tour of the new Panama Canal locks.

Roach, who serves as president pro tempore of the Senate, organized the tour in order to help stakeholders and policymakers better understand how the widening of the canal will impact Washington’s port competitiveness, trade and jobs.

The delegation will receive briefings on the canal expansion and security procedures, tour the Mira Flores control tower, visit the site of the new Pacific locks and participate in discussion of labor issues related to trade and port competitiveness.

The delegation consists of lawmakers, union representatives and port officials, including:

• Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds

• Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman

• Pierce County Council Councilmember Dan Roach

· Gordon Baxter, Vice President of Puget Sound Maritime Trades Council

· Dean McGraff, President of ILWU, Local 23, Tacoma

· Briahna (and David) Murray of Gordon Thomas Honeywell

· Kurt Beckett, Deputy CEO of Northwest Seaport Alliance

· John Parrott, Chief Operating Officer of Foss Maritime

· Juan Carlos Croston with the Manzanillo International Terminal, SSA in Panama

Each member of the delegation is responsible for paying for their own expenses. No state funds are being used.

To learn more, view Sen. Roach’s report on Panama to the Northwest Seaport Alliance.

What Sen. Roach says:

“Washington’s ports are facing a number of challenges, including competition from cargo gateways in Canada, the Panama Canal-widening project, high container taxes paid to rail companies and an unfair federal harbor tax.

“As chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee, I have purview over ports and will hold hearings at our key ports this summer. With an estimated 48,000 jobs in Washington associated with the movement of cargo, we are the most trade-dependent state in the nation.

“If we lose port clients to the Panama Canal widening or Prince Rupert, Canada, we will never get them back. That would cost us jobs and easy export of our agricultural commodities.

“We must meet these challenges head-on or face damaging our economy.”