The United States is facing growing challenges exporting agricultural products abroad at a time when it lacks the U.S. flagged vessels to support international trade, according to panelists addressing a Maritime Day symposium entitled “Do U.S. Exporters Need U.S. Ships?”

The Port of Oakland Turning Basin expansion, crucial to allowing mega containerships to expeditiously dock at the Port of Oakland, could be in jeopardy if the Bay Conservation and Development Commission approves the Oakland Athletics application to exclude the Howard Terminal site from its current seaport designation, according to Mike Jacob, vice president and general counsel, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA).

The recent fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to upheaval following an unprecedented number of sanctions and export controls.

The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) is urging the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to avoid even a minor disruption of West Coast terminal operations as the two sides begin negotiating a new labor agreement.

There has been no major dislocation of imports from China due to the COVID lockdown in Shanghai

Jim McKenna, president and CEO Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), is hopeful that contract negotiations set to begin with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will avoid a work stoppage.

Mike Wilson is the CEO of Consolidated Chassis Management, better known as CCM and is, as the name implies, is a chassis management business.

The Port of Redwood City’s success in persuading the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide annual dredging of the port’s ship channel will enhance revenues and tonnage according to Kristine Zortman, executive director, Port of Redwood City.

The California Inland Port project proposes to develop four inland logistics hubs in California’s San Joaquin Valley stretching from Bakersfield in the south to Sacramento in the north helping to reduce congestion at California ports, according to Lois Yates, a partner at Global Logistics Development (GLD) Partners.