Port of Oakland

A sprawling vessel service begins this week with 18 megaships linking the Port of Oakland to Asia, including Saudi Arabia. A highlight of the new service: the first-ever direct link between Oakland and the Middle East.

Fewer container ships would likely mean less cargo at the Port of Oakland this spring. That was the message Oakland Maritime officials delivered to the Harbor Trucking Association last week.

Port of Oakland officials bid farewell tonight to the biggest ship ever to visit this city. They add that the 32-hour call of the MSC Anna is proceeding on schedule.

As reported in LM this week, Oakland has been hit hard by the pandemic – like all California ports – but this latest episode of resilience is encouraging new for shippers working in the most vibrant and innovative business communities in the nation.

Port of Oakland loaded box volume dipped 7.4 percent in March

The Port of Oakland – which stages its “6th Annual State of the Port” address on January 29 – reports that its 2019 container volume decreased 1.8 percent from 2018, Maritime division spokesmen attributed this dip to fewer empty containers, but noted that loaded import and export containers were at a record high.

Amid all the trade tension talk between the U.S. and China, the Port of Oakland’s unique position as the Pacific Rim’s major outbound cargo gateway remains secure, as evidenced by November’s container throughput numbers.

In addition to seaport, the port controls Oakland International Airport and Oakland’s Jack London Square entertainment district. Among the challenges Mr. Wan will soon be facing is whether the port’s maritime business can co-exist with new neighbors.

While the container throughput at the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach may be slumping, California's third largest ocean cargo gateway is reporting encouraging news.

Refrigerated export volume has grown 20 percent here in the past year, the Port of Oakland said today. The increase could indicate that the Port’s strategic bet on temperature-controlled cargo is paying off.

With the regular major league baseball season drawing to a close, many Oakland Athletics fans are hoping that they’ll have a new ballpark on the waterfront in a couple of years. The team has even gained the Port of Oakland’s Board of Port Commissioners’ unanimous approval to an exclusive negotiating term sheet.

The Port of Oakland recently made two significant announcements having an impact on U.S. West Coast shippers' plans for Peak Season.

The Port of Oakland announced today that Executive Director Chris Lytle would retire July 19, after 53 years in trade and transportation. Meanwhile, Lytle has agreed to remain as a consultant to the port through year-end.

SSA’s Oakland International Container Terminal said today its $6 million conversion to hybrid yard cranes would cut greenhouse gas emissions 96 percent.

The CMA CGM Group, a leader in ocean cargo shipping and logistics, has announced that it will pay a special maritime tribute to America in honor of its U.S. shippers and logistics on July 3rd.