Biden to Unveil $3 Billion to Boost US Port Infrastructure

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a $3 billion investment towards port infrastructure Tuesday, the White House said, as he travels to the port of Baltimore a week before Election Day.

Biden's visit to the port, a key hub for the auto industry, comes as Vice President Kamala Harris -- the Democratic candidate in the election -- remains in a close race with Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The latest announcement involves $3 billion in grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, a major package of energy transition policy and social reforms.

The funds will go towards improving and electrifying port infrastructure, the White House said in a statement.

This involves supporting purchases of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered equipment, including those used to handle cargo, alongside charging and fueling infrastructure.

The full sum of grants goes to recipients across 27 states and territories, including $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration.

U.S. ports hire more than 100,000 union workers across the country.

And as Election Day draws close, both Harris and Trump have been fighting to win over blue-collar workers, especially in swing states.

On Tuesday, the White House noted that "our nation's ports are a major source of pollution for workers and surrounding communities."

The grants announced Tuesday come under a "clean ports" program that authorities hope can improve air quality at the ports by installing "clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure."

The aim is to eliminate more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 10 years, the White House said.

The efforts align with the Biden-Harris administration's "goal for a zero-emission freight sector."

Biden's visit also comes months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in March, which closed ship traffic in and out of the port of Baltimore and killed six workers.

The White House said that the Biden-Harris administration "remains committed" to working with Baltimore and the state of Maryland to help with the city's long-term recovery.