Recap of 114th American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Convention & Expo

(October 17, 2025) With headlines about tariffs and international trade as backdrop, it was fitting that the 114th American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Convention & Expo took place in Quebec City, Canada last week. Under the theme "Seas the Opportunity,” close to 700 maritime professionals representing 95 ports from throughout the Americas, including the Port of Albany, came together to hear from industry experts and to share best practices for navigating the changing world.

Beginning with the welcome from Cary Davis (AAPA President & CEO) and ending with the final presentation on Port Priorities across the Americas, content focused on meeting challenges with practical solutions across workforce, security, AI, supply chain and logistics, finance, legal, environmental stewardship, and energy resilience. Break out session topics ranged from Foreign Trade Zones to dredging, from infrastructure investment to branding, from sustainability to succession planning.

In her keynote address, Katherine Tai, former U.S. Trade Representative, recognized the import role that ports have played throughout history and that ports have always been critical to the rise of civilizations and global economies….and will continue to weather challenges into the future.

The Port of Albany was named a finalist for the 2025 Lighthouse Award for Achievement in Print/Digital Media Communications (Small Port) and various Port of Albany staff members were recognized for their leadership and participation on AAPA’s technical and event committees. We were able to reconnect with our friends at Green Marine International and with the leadership team of our stevedore partner, Logistec

Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the 2026 Convention in New Orleans!