In a wide-ranging briefing to Northern California customs brokers and freight forwarders, Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) warned that a collaborative effort by ports exporters, forwarders, brokers and longshore labor is essential to stem the loss of West Coast container business to East and Gulf Coast ports.
Three new ship to shore container cranes, built by Shanghai-based ZPMC, will arrive at the Port of Oakland later this year and will enhance the ability of SSA’s Oakland International Container Terminal to handle 19,000 TEU ships and larger.
The Port of Long Beach is looking at ways to win back customers recently lost to East and Gulf Coast ports and to respond to issues raised in a Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) report, according to Noel Hacegaba, deputy executive director for port operations.
The Port of Long Beach’s new bridge replacing the old Gerald Desmond is scheduled to be open for truck and commuter traffic by mid-August, according to a Port of Long Beach official.
Port of Hueneme, agricultural imports and exports were up 3% for the 2020 with the year ending on June 30th but the Port’s vehicle import business is way down.
Michael Roberts, president of the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), called upon US Coast Guard Captains of the Port to agree on a unified set of protocols regarding Covid-19 treatment of mariners on U.S. flag vessels operating in the non-contiguous trades serving Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) accorded Federal Maritime Commissioner Rebecca Dye its “Person of the Year” award for her work implementing new demurrage and detention rules that help shippers and U.S. agricultural exporters.