Terminal Operations – Page 4 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Animal Food Contraband Smuggled Through LA/LB Ports at Record Levels: Customs

The seizures of prohibited meat products from China is continuing at levels never seen before at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex, according to a new report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In just the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, (October-December 2021) Customs agriculture specialists intercepted 262,237 pounds of prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products, a 33% increase from same period the year before, Customs data show. “This concerning uptrend began intensifying in fiscal year 2021, when in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of prohibited animal products interdicted by CBP at the LA/LB Seaport…

State of Oregon to Help Fund Port of Newport Seawall Repair

A $1.14 million appropriation from the State of Oregon is expected to allow the Port of Newport to make major repairs this year to the 540-foot seawall that supports the headquarters for Newport-based Rogue Nation Brewing. Built in 1979, the seawall was under study by an engineering firm in 2021 after showing signs of considerable wear and corrosion. PBS Engineering reported that the seawall “is considered to have exceeded its useful design life” and predicted the eventual failing of the corroded steel piles if measures weren’t taken to repair or replace the structure. Last November, port General Manager Paula Miranda…

Bay Area Report 2022: Pandemic Rebound

Two years after COVID-19 swept the world, the Bay Area, like many maritime regions, continues to feel the effects of the pandemic. During this time, the Bay Area’s maritime industry has been working to rebound from the impacts while investing in its future, whether it is seaports finding ways to ease the bottlenecks stemming from pandemic-driven cargo records or a transportation agency working to maintain services as ferry riders slowly return. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the region: PORT OF OAKLAND For the past several months, the Port of Oakland has been working to solve a major shipping…

Port of LA Completes Everport Terminal Improvements

The Port of Los Angeles has completed construction of the $65 million Everport Terminal Improvement Project located at Berths 226-236 along the Los Angeles Main Channel, the port confirmed in April. The project, according to the port, would allow Everport to improve the container-handling efficiency and capacity of its existing terminal to accommodate the projected fleet mix of larger container vessels anticipated to call at the Everport Container Terminal over the next two decades. The deployment of these larger vessels encourages fewer ship calls, reducing air emissions. “The completion of this project marks years of planning and perseverance through a…

Port of Grays Harbor Tenant to Expand Export Facility

The Port of Grays Harbor’s biggest marine terminal customer, Nebraska-based U.S. soybean processor/refiner AGP, is making expansion plans for its Washington Coast facility, the port revealed in late March. AGP’s Board of Directors recently approved plans to expand and enhance its facilities at the port, including more storage at its current export facility at Terminal 2 and a new, modern ship loader at Terminal 4. “The port’s strategic location and access to rail have once again presented us with an incredible opportunity with a committed, strong private partner willing to further invest in our community,” POGH Executive Director Gary Nelson…

CMA CGM Finalizes Majority Purchase of Fenix Marine Services

French shipping company CMA CGM Group has finalized an agreement to become the sole owner of the Fenix Marine Services container terminal in Los Angeles, the company said Jan. 5. Under the agreement, which was initially announced in November, CMA CMM is acquiring 90% of the company from EQT Infrastructure III for an estimated $2.3 billion. The shipping company previously held a 10% stake in the terminal, but now has sole ownership and said that it plans to take over the operations of the facility with the goal of improving its service quality and invest in increasing container yard and…

Calif. Gov. Proposes $2.3 Billion in Goods Movement, Supply Chain Bottleneck Reductions in New State Budget

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 10 proposed allocating $2.3 billion for supply chain investments in the new state budget, with the funds earmarked to help address congestion and bottlenecks. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, California ports saw significant decreases in trade with record breaking impacts. But demand rose as consumers grappled with adapting to a new world that revolved around remote work and virtual learning. The surge in cargo has created unprecedented challenges across the state’s coast. Over the past decade, the federal government has invested roughly $11 billion in the eastern Gulf coast ports, but only $1…

POLB Receives $52M Rail Grant

The Port of Long Beach has been awarded a $52.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to help fund development of an on-dock rail support facility, the port revealed in late December. The facility, now under construction at the port’s Pier B, is expected to enable the seaport to move more cargo by train, thereby improving efficiency and lessening environmental impacts. The project encompasses about 171 acres in the Harbor District. The existing Pier B rail facility serves as a storage and staging area for trains. The facility is primarily used by Pacific Harbor Line,…

Long Beach Port Partnering on Tracking Tool, Other Measures, to Improve Flow of Cargo

The Port of Long Beach has revealed that it’s partnering with a U.S. technology firm to create a cargo data tool dubbed the “Supply Chain Information Highway,” with a soft launch planned for February. The platform, which is being developed by St. Louis-based UNCOMN, is designed to help shippers, ocean carriers, trucking companies and others in the supply chain securely connect to track cargo across all modes of transportation. “Shippers have two basic questions: Where’s my cargo? How do I get more visibility?” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said. “We’re developing a system of systems that complements…

Port of Portland Added to MSC’s U.S.-China Rotation

The Port of Portland has been added to the rotation of Mediterranean Shipping Company’s “Mustang” service connecting China and the U.S., the ocean carrier announced in December. The revised route was launched Dec. 26, making an MSC Bhavya on voyage UV152A the first sailing on the latest rotation. The full revised port rotation includes Shanghai, Busan, Portland, Los Angeles and Shanghai. “We will extend coverage of the U.S. West Coast by adding a call in Portland with a view to increasing much needed capacity (in) this market,” MSC said in a statement. MSC said that the service complements the company’s…