The National Asphalt Pavement Association, a CalAPA partner, joined other construction materials associations last week to express concern about tariff proposals being put forward by the Trump administration. The letter warns that the proposed taxes on foreign goods "will significantly increase the cost of both public and private transportation and infrastructure projects." A copy of the Jan. 31 coalition letter can be found HERE.

Since he took office on Jan. 20 for his second term, President Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders that has upended the status quo in Washington, sending politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and lobbyists scurrying about trying to understand them. An analysis on this topic appeared in last week's Asphalt Insider newsletter and can be viewed on-line HERE.

A number of the executive orders could have implications for the asphalt pavement industry, including immigration crackdowns, federal grant funding, dialing back on environmental regulations and other issues the Republican administration views as examples of government sloth and inefficiency.

The tight integration of the economies of the United States, Canada and Mexico, particularly in the wake of the Clinton-era North American Free Trade Agreement, presented challenges for the incoming administration that campaigned on using tariffs to tamp down on imports.

The coalition letter sent Jan. 31 to the White House, and obtained by Asphalt Insider, enumerates reasons why the proposed tariffs against Mexico and Canada, in particular, could be harmful to the construction materials industry.

"For a variety of reasons, there is not a sufficient domestic supply – in some cases nationally and in some cases regionally – of raw materials within the U.S., creating a demand for imports of aggregates, cement and other components of asphalt and concrete – many of which are from Canada and Mexico," the letter stated. "For example, the U.S. produces roughly 75% of the cement consumed on an annual basis, and there are large geographic areas of the country in which there are not naturally occurring rock suitable for highway construction. Recognition of these realities was the basis for the bipartisan exclusion of these products from expanded Buy America provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act."

The letter goes on cite specific areas of construction that could be harmed by the president's action, and concludes, "we urge the Administration to judiciously choose which products on which to apply tariffs and respectfully request that you carefully consider the second order effects of the tariffs in increasing federal spending and exacerbating vulnerable sectors of the economy."

In addition to NAPA, the letter is signed by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the Portland Cement Association. The subject of tariffs, funding and other issues are expected to be a topic of discussion when U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., chairman of the powerful House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, attends the NAPA Annual Meeting this week in Hawaii. More reporting on that visit will appear in next week's Asphalt Insider.

Special to Asphalt Insider

CalAPA Executive Director Russell Snyder was elected chairman of the State Asphalt Pavement Associations organization during the SAPA winter meeting held Jan. 31 in Wailea, Hawaii, succeeding John Hickey from the Oregon Asphalt Pavement Association. At the same meeting, the SAPA Board of Directors approved the officers of the association for 2025. They include Kevin Burke from the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association (Vice Chairman); Erich Ponti with the Louisiana Asphalt Pavement Association (Secretary) & Trenton Clark with the Virginia Asphalt Association (Treasurer). Hickey will serve with the officers on the SAPA Executive Committee as immediate past chairman.

At the same meeting, longtime executive Jon Young with the Hawaii Asphalt Paving Industry association was presented a special award for his many years of service to SAPA and the industry.

A press release about the installation of SAPA officers is HERE. The main SAPA website is HERE.

Pictured: John Hickey (left) Russell Snyder (right), and Trenton Clark (center). Photo by Tom Peterson, Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association annual meeting, being held this week in Hawaii, was well-attended by California companies seeking to learn about current and emerging trends in the industry, many of which originate in the Golden State.

Jordan Reed with the Reed Family Companies, a past CalAPA Chairman, presided over a NAPA Western Regional Council meeting on Feb. 2 as his father, Jeff Reed, another past CalAPA Chairman, looked on. Matthew Reed also was in attendance, as was Phil Reader, recently elected to the CalAPA Board of Directors and a fixture in the Caltrans-industry Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee Jeff Reed and Matthew Reed are pictured during a break Sunday in the various committee meetings.

Brian Handshoe, president of Kenco Engineering and current chair of the CalAPA Political Action Committee, was also participating in various committee meetings, mentoring newer NAPA members. His pitch: active engagement.

The meetings over the weekend were the onramp toward the regular business meetings that will take place this week at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui.

Asphalt Insider has been posting photos on the CalAPA social media feeds. A full report on the content-rich conference will be featured in next week's newsletter.

With so much changing in the world of asphalt, from technical specs, research, new equipment and best practices, it can seem overwhelming to stay on top of it all. CalAPA's Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference & Equipment Expo is just the thing to help. You can network with peers, and have fun at the same time. The event web page with all the details, including a timed agenda of presenters and topics, is HERE. There is special discounted pricing for public agency personnel.

The 11th annual event features subject-matter experts covering all aspects of asphalt pavement, from recycling and sustainability, technician training, local agency resources, pavement preservation, Environmental Product Declarations, Women of Asphalt activities, the use of rubber in asphalt mixes, and cold-in-place recycling.

The gala conference reception, free for all attendees, will take place at the famed Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports museum, will feature live entertainment from "Shakedown -- a Bob Seger Experience," a noted Southern California classic rock tribute band. You can check out a fun preview video featuring the group HERE.

A few exhibitor spots are still available. For information, contact CalAPA conference manager and rock empresario Sophie You at (916) 791-5044. The deadline to secure discounted rooms a the conference venue, the Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center in Pomona, is Feb. 7. For more information, click HERE.

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

RAPID CURING ASPHALT (RC): Liquid asphalt composed of asphalt cement and a naphtha- or gasoline-type diluent of high volatility.

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

TONNAGE CALCULATION: Ask yourself: Are there enough trucks on the run to haul the mix

needed to complete the job? If you have five trucks on the round each carrying 25 tons = 125 tons

per round. If each round takes one hour to make, then the production rate is 125 tons per hour. If

the job requires 1,000 tons at 125 tons per hour = eight hours to get the mix to the job.

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

PERPETUAL PAVEMENT: Long-lasting structural design and construction of asphalt. Also known

as "long-life asphalt pavement" in California.

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."



– Benjamin Disraeil

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®