Governor Murkowski continues to forcefully move the Alaska/Canada rail initiative forward. He has met personally with Canadian Premier Paul Martin, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie and other Canadian provincial and national leaders. The rail project is part of a larger drive to improve rail, telecom, and road connections from Alaska to Canada and the rest of the continent.

In June of 2004, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 31 and SB 395. These bills bring the vision of a rail connection between Alaska, Canada and North America one step closer to reality. SB 31 allows for the delineation of a transportation corridor between the existing rail corridor and the Alaska/Canada border. SB 395 authorizes the Alaska Railroad to extend its rail line to Fort Greely, 80 miles southeast towards the proposed link with Canada.

In 2004, cargo traffic at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport grew 19%. Currently, 31 foreign and domestic airlines operate in Anchorage transporting 4.6 billion pounds of cargo each year. Most of the international cargo operators have the authority to pick up or drop off international freight from or to the Alaska market.

Many international cargo operators also have significant cargo sorting operations in Anchorage including Northwest, Korean Air, UPS, FedEx, and Japan Airlines. Activity at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport creates nearly one in ten jobs in Anchorage, many of them in international cargo operations. Alaska also enjoys nonstop year round passenger service to Taipei; and seasonal nonstop passenger service to Frankfurt and Seoul.

Alaska’s exports of seafood, forest products, minerals and coal move primarily by chartered marine service from various ports in Alaska. Dutch Harbor-Unalaska is the top U.S. port for export of seafood. Coal exports to Korea depart the Port of Seward. Red Dog Mine in northwest Alaska has a summer shipping season during which its ore products are shipped to markets in North America, Asia and Europe from the Red Dog Mine Port. Forest products move directly from a variety of southeast destinations to international markets.