Pennsylvania Extends Port Incentive Program, Doubling Down on Asian Trade Routes

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced the extension of its Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program (PICGIP) until July 2027, continuing its efforts to boost containerized cargo movement through Pennsylvania ports.

The program, which provides up to $1 million annually to participating ocean carriers, offers $25 per new container unit for carriers establishing new services at Pennsylvania ports. Success of the initiative is evident in the 2024 figures, with PhilaPort handling over 840,000 containers and PSA Penn Terminals processing 357,000 containers.

“Pennsylvania’s ports are critical to our transportation network and to our economy, and growth at the ports means growth in the Commonwealth,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.

In a strategic move to enhance Asian trade routes, the program has introduced special incentives for carriers establishing new service lines from Southeast or Far East Asia. These carriers can earn $25 per container unit with an increased annual cap of $500,000, double the standard carrier cap of $250,000.

Since its 2015 inception through PennDOT’s Multimodal Fund, the program has facilitated the movement of over 3 million cargo units through Pennsylvania ports, resulting in more than $7 million in incentives awarded across nine ocean carriers.

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