Ocean Cargo

While labor costs and “green” initiatives may be making West Coast ports less dominant in the coming years, they are hardly at risk, said a prominent industry analyst.

Proposed legislation in California that would make that state’s ports less competitive with other Pacific Rim and Gulf ports is being opposed by The International Warehouse Logistics Association

In a move to contain costs and sustain service, the West Coast MTO Agreement announced it will raise the current Traffic Mitigation Fee at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The tired old cliché, “thinking outside the box,” takes on new meaning when invoked by the world’s leading container shipping company

Port of Los Angeles spokesmen said that half a dozen motor carriers are now being investigated for not honoring contracts providing cash incentives for the operation of “clean trucks.”

The San Francisco Heritage Foundation maintains that Port City (by Michael Corbett; San Francisco Architectural Heritage, 248 pages; $65.00) represents a first in terms of providing a comprehensive story of the Port of San Francisco.

While supply chain velocity is always a shipper concern, cargo security remains one of the highest priorities for seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The European Commission’s investigation of ocean carrier antitrust rules ramped up to a new level this week, as Asian players were also targeted by regulators.

Both major ocean cargo gateways in San Pedro Bay posted positive numbers for container throughput in April.

While union dockworkers and truckers have long been criticized for making U.S. West Coast ports weaker, another faction of organized labor may pose an even greater threat to the competitiveness of one major ocean cargo gateway.

Responding to a request for comments from the Federal Maritime Commission on the effect of slow steaming on U.S. ocean liner commerce, most shippers found little or no rate or service benefit.

China Shipping has completed a major phase of its terminal expansion project at the Port of Los Angeles, adding a new 925-foot section of wharf, 18 additional acres of backland and four new container cranes that will increase cargo throughput.

While the world’s leading cargo vessel operators had seen a remarkable reversal of fortune last year, industry analysts predict the turnaround will be “short-lived.”

Following recently-introduced port security legislation by Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), which has myriad goals and objectives to strengthen security at U.S. ports, and ensure adequate resources exist to secure U.S. port facilities, other politicians are making their voices heard when it comes to a key component of this—and previous port security legislation—ocean container scanning.

Canadian National Railway and TSI Terminal Systems recently announced they have taken the next step and signed a Service Level Agreement, following a Memorandum of Understanding inked in June in an effort to draw greater volumes and enhanced service levels for shippers at Port Metro Vancouver.