Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Port Envoy Visit Port of Long Beach

California Gov. Gavin Newsom
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Flanked by federal, state, local and union officials, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at Total Terminals International at Pier T in the Port of Long Beach during a press conference on congestion in the San Pedro Bay Port Complex. Photo via POLB.

On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Port Envoy John D. Porcari met with city and harbor leaders at the Port of Long Beach to spotlight efforts to ease bottlenecks at the nation’s second-busiest seaport.

They assembled at Pier T at Total Terminals International, where the terminal is conducting a 24/7 operations pilot program with the addition of an overnight shift, the first terminal in San Pedro Bay to do so.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which have been moving cargo at record levels, have seen a 32% drop in containers sitting on the docks thanks to the work of California and its partners, Newsom said.

Both ports have been pushing to clear cargo and have implemented a new container dwell fee that charges ocean carriers beginning Nov. 22 for imports that linger at terminals beyond the allotted time.

“California has taken swift action across the board to address congestion and increase our capacity to move goods quickly,” he said. “I am grateful for the cooperation of both the public and private sectors – from the federal government, to the ports, the workforce, the retailers, and the shipping lines – for the additional commitments they’ve made to tackle the backlog.”

Porcari said the $17 billion earmarked for ports and waterways in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, along with President Biden’s Port Action Plan, would “go a long way towards ensuring goods flow through ports like Long Beach and Los Angeles efficiently.”

By Karen Robes Meeks