Chris Lytle, executive director, Port of Oakland told AJOT in an interview that “the Port has been approached by three carriers, raising the possibility of Oakland becoming the first U.S. Pacific Coast port of call.

Increased investment in U.S. transportation infrastructure is being urged as the American Association of Port Authorities’ 11th annual Planning for Shifting Trade Conference gets under way today [Jan. 30] in Tampa, Florida.

Craig Mack, director for C.H. Robinson, a third-party logistics provider based in Minnesota, told AJOT that the company’s San Bernardino, California facility is helping expand distribution of fruits and vegetables while continuing to increase imports of grapes from Peru and Chile as well as fruits and vegetables from Mexico.

Transportation industry leaders are being encouraged to be open to new ideas as Jump Start ’18, presented by SMC3, gets into gear today [Jan. 22] in Atlanta.

In an interview, Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, told AJOT that the Port has “re-established the same annual container volume in 2017 that it had processed before the 2008 recession.”

In January, Hong Kong-based SVA (Steve Vickers and Associates) issues its annual Asia Risk Assessment which handicaps the comparative political and economic risks for each nation or territory in the region.

As early winter’s deepest freeze in many years hampered normal shipping operations on the St. Lawrence River, the Port of Montreal announced record performances in 2017 total and container cargo. The occasion was the special annual ceremony on Jan. 3 honouring the captain of the first ocean-going vessel to reach the port in the new year.

Realizing the importance of protecting trade with Egypt, Pharaoh Ramses the Third built a shimmering port made of coral from the Red Sea. It stood on the island of Suakin in what is now Sudan. For 3,000 years, this port city was a powerful center of trade, welcoming Christians and Muslims alike. Ptolemy called it the “Port of Good Hope.”

In recent years, a global reorientation of global trade towards the East, aided by developments under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has reshaped the port infrastructure landscape. Even as port operators look to adjust to changing economic trends, geopolitical imperatives, demographic shifts and technological innovation, opportunities are ripe for companies who can position themselves to take advantage of the challenges.

China is top of mind for the AAFA’s counterfeiting concerns, even as communication between the Chinese government and U.S. footwear and apparel players has improved in the last year. Even so, “we continue to see a growth in the number of products and brands that are being counterfeited,” said a recent AAFA report.