Strengthening Guam’s supply chain & port operations.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and the Port Authority of Guam’s general manager meeting with US Maritime Administration officials to discuss the newly amended Buy America waiver for Pacific Island territories.

This change is crucial for securing federal funding to modernize critical infrastructure, including replacing Guam’s aging ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently updating the waiver to remove domestic sourcing requirements for iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials in federally funded projects for Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa. Since STS cranes are not made in the US, the previous requirements made procurement nearly impossible.

Under the revised waiver, Guam can now purchase STS cranes, provided they are not sourced from China.  

Effective January 10, 2025, to January 9, 2030, this waiver replaces the temporary exemption from April 2024 and removes burdensome reporting requirements that previously delayed projects. 

Port of Guam manager Rory Respicio says, “This waiver and potential funding sources will allow us to avoid the purchase of China-made gantry cranes, ensuring Guam’s port remains a cornerstone of economic and defense operations in the Indo-Pacific Region.”