Bowling Green Today

Last week, in a significant development for Kentucky and trade policy, U.S. Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) amendment to streamline the layover of goods at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) was signed into law by President Biden. Dr. Paul’s amendment, included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3935), begins the process of adding CVG to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) list of Designated Ports. This designation allows CVG to directly process shipments of wildlife and wildlife-derived products, reducing costs and creating job opportunities for Kentucky.

“Adding Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport as a Designated Port is a strategic move that enhances efficiency, reduces costs, creates jobs for Kentucky, and aligns it with the demands of global commerce,” said Dr. Paul. “My amendment is a win-win, not just for our Commonwealth but for the national economy.”

The legislation has garnered support from various stakeholders and organizations:

“For several years, Senator Paul has worked with us and DHL to grow cargo at CVG, and that has most recently manifested in the FAA reauthorization bill passed last week by the U.S. Senate and today in the House of Representatives,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of CVG. “I am grateful to Senator Paul for championing an amendment to designate CVG as a port of entry for fish and wildlife products, enabling more growth for our region and for the Commonwealth.”

“On behalf of DHL, we are thrilled to see Senator Paul’s amendment included in the FAA reauthorization,” said Andrew Williams, CEO for DHL Express Americas. “CVG airport is the only major express delivery hub in the U.S. that was not considered a Port of Entry by the Fish and Wildlife Service. With this designation, we will see speedier processing times for customers, more efficient transportation, and a fundamentally safer process for inspection of regulated goods.”

“Atlas thanks Senator Paul for his commitment to improving the efficiency and competitiveness of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport,” said Jamie Handley, Vice President, Systems Operations at Atlas Air Worldwide.

Despite its impressive ranking as the sixth busiest cargo airport in the United States in 2022 when CVG handled over eight billion pounds of landed cargo, couriers currently must drive wildlife goods elsewhere for inspection by USFWS—sometimes up to 100 miles away—to Louisville before returning them to CVG.

Dr. Paul’s amendment addresses this issue by enabling rapid movement through one of America’s busiest cargo hubs.

Additionally, this law includes a provision allowing USFWS to accept donations from private entities to facilitate necessary changes that will include CVG among its designated ports.

You can read Dr. Paul’s amendment HERE and learn more about his legislative win in his op-ed published in the Cincinnati Enquirer HERE.

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