Hawaii opposes proposed California container tax

“The Hawaii state legislature is considering a resolution asking the California state legislature to find a way to improve port infrastructure without taxing Hawaii shippers. California’s legislature is considering a new tax on shipping containers that would cost an estimated $34 million a year to Hawaii shippers. ‘This bill, if passed, will have a major negative impact on Hawaii’s economy, the maritime industry and raise the cost of living for Hawaii’s people,’ said Jim Tollefson, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. More than 80 percent of goods consumed in Hawaii are produced elsewhere and shipped to the islands, and 90 percent of those are shipped through the California ports of Oakland and Long Beach on the ships of Matson Navigation Co., Horizon Lines and Pasha Hawaii Transport.”