After the last CEO Cary Davis left in a dispute over Donald Trump’s customs policy, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has a new boss. He has experience from parliament and the intelligence service.
Sang Yi has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the AAPA has now announced. The new chief executive was most recently deputy head of the Maritime Administration (Marad) of the US Department of Transportation. Before joining Marad, Yi was a member of the US House of Representatives for almost 15 years. Before that, he worked in the “intelligence service”, as it says without giving further details. He has served as an officer in the US Navy Reserve for over 20 years and holds a seaman’s license issued by the US Coast Guard.
Yi succeeds Cary Davis, who has been out of office for several months. The manager, who is highly respected in the industry, left the post following a dispute over US President Donald Trump’s customs policy. Davis was one of the critics of the plan to impose higher tariffs on port cranes from China and drastically increase port fees for ships built in China via a “penalty fee”. The announcement of Yi’s appointment does not mention his predecessor.
“With extensive executive and legislative experience, Sang is a proven leader who understands the critical role ports play in economic strength and national security,” said Chett Chiasson, chairman of the AAPA board and chief executive officer of Port Fourchon. “The board has complete confidence in his ability to lead the AAPA, strengthen the interests of our industry and solidify the voice of ports in our country.”
“I am honored to lead the AAPA. Our ports are important gateways to the world that strengthen America’s competitiveness,” said Yi. “This is a pivotal time for the shipping industry, and investment in America’s ports is more important than ever. I look forward to working with the AAPA board and members to represent the ports and businesses that form the backbone of the supply chain and create countless jobs across America.”
