And the government helps them by subsidizing their distribution of their products so they still appear to be cheaper. In California, it is the taxpayers that get to pick up the tab for port improvements, road maintenance, environmental effects, etc. Heaven forbid that some of that might be relieved by one of those awful tariffs or container fees! Just hint at it and you'll be accused of being a "protectionist" or wanting to start a trade war.
Yep. Thank goodness Ronald Reagan never used tariffs or protected American industries.
/sarcasm
Ever done any international shipping - export or import? There are port taxes for transport, customs brokerage fees, customs inspection fees, dock fees, longshoremen fees, dock transport fees. There's tons of fees already which should cover the costs of the physical operation and maintenance of the ports. I know, I have to pay them on top of the duties (tariffs) required.
The fact your port authority mismanages its money is not because of free trade, but because of Government greed and graft. If it's anything like the Port of Seattle, somehow they can blow through hundreds of millions of dollars and still always need more to build the newest Port Authority office complex, or finance a dozen more trips abroad to see the port of Bali, or some other waste of dollars.
Government mismanagement of funds is not a result of free trade!