November/December 2023 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Intermodal Expo 2023 Recap

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) held its annual expo, an event dedicated to and for the intermodal industry, on Sept. 11-13 in Long Beach, Calif. The event, which attracted more than 1,800 attendees is, according to IANA, the only forum on the continent that brings together the entire intermodal freight industry, including executives from 3PLs, ocean carriers, railroads, ports, motor carriers, suppliers and shippers. Highlights of the three-day program included: Inside Intermodal: a team of analysts provided their views of what’s happening in the industry and where it’s headed, with detailed coverage of ocean carriers, truckers and 3PLs.…

LA, Long Beach, Shanghai Ports Reveal Plan for Green Shipping Corridor

A voluntary partnership of leading maritime goods movement stakeholders, including the Los Angeles, Long Beach and Shanghai seaports, as well as some of the largest shipping lines in the world have developed a Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan Outline to accelerate emissions reductions on one of the world’s busiest container shipping routes. The plan’s development was supported by C40 Cities, a global network of mayors working to deliver the urgent action needed to confront the climate crisis. C40 is the facilitator of the Green Shipping Corridor, providing support to the cities, ports and their corridor partners by coordinating, convening, facilitating…

Marine Economists Hold Annual Conference in U.S. for 1st Time

The 2023 International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference took place Sept. 5-8 in Long Beach, Calif., marking the first time that the event has been held on U.S. soil. IAME, a Belgium-based nonprofit that was founded in 1992 and has more than 300 members across all seven continents, holds yearly conferences hosted by different institutions. It also supports other conferences that share its goals. Those goals, according to the organization, include promotion of the development of maritime economics as a distinct discipline, encouraging rational and reasoned discussion within it, and to facilitate the international exchange of ideas and research. …

Study: When Firms Bypass West Coast Cargo Routes, Greenhouse Gases Rise

A new study released in late August asserts that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can increase when vessels carrying cargo originating in Asia bypass seaports on the U.S. West Coast. The study, performed by Starcrest Consulting Group, LLC, analyzed a number of factors including port of origin, port of destination, ultimate inland destination and vessel sizes. If state and local regulations and policies result in the diversion of cargo flows and economic benefits from the U.S. West Coast to East Coast and Gulf ports, the policies actually can result in increases to greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis evaluates, by utilizing a…

2023 Mid-Year Trade Growth Experienced at Port of Vancouver

With growth in some sectors and softening in others, cargo volumes through Canada’s Port of Vancouver increased by 11% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, data released by the port in late September show. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s 2023 mid-year statistics, released Sept. 25, show a total of 75.9 million metric tons (MMT) of goods moved through Port of Vancouver terminals between January 1 and June 30, 2023, compared to 68.6 MMT for the same period in 2022. This is the second largest mid-year volume of cargo ever handled by Port of…

PMSA Announces Leadership Transition

Longtime Pacific Merchant Shipping Association President John McLaurin has said that he intends to retire early next year, prompting PMSA’s Board of Directors to adopt a leadership transition plan that has PMSA Vice President and General Counsel Mike Jacob taking the reins in 2024, the organization announced Sept. 26. McLaurin has served as PMSA president for 28 years. Previously, was employed by American President Lines, the American Petroleum Institute and the Marine Spill Response Corporation. He is a University of California Davis graduate, and holds a law degree from Southwestern University. In 2013, he received the Connie Award from the…

Port of Olympia, Executive Director Part Ways

The Port of Olympia is looking for a new executive director. Earlier this month, the port commission accepted the “separation of service” from former Executive Director Sam Gibboney and on Sept. 20 announced its plans to seek a replacement in the coming months. In the interim, the port has installed 19-year port veteran Rudy Rudolph as acting executive director while a search for a new permanent executive director is conducted. “During this transitional period, the commission is committed to prioritizing and ensuring a seamless leadership transition while maintaining the port’s stability and effectiveness,” according to the port’s announcement. Gibboney became…

Drought & the Panama Canal

Panama is typically one of the wetter countries in the world due to its tropical climate, but a very unusual occurrence is affecting the Panama Canal during the current rainy season: a severe drought. The drought has already slowed vessel traffic to the U.S. West Coast and is threatening to have an effect on the current peak shipping season, when goods are shipped to North America from Asia in time to be on store shelves for holiday season shopping. Here’s the situation: according to climate scientists, Panama is experiencing its worst drought in over two decades, even though the country…

Coast Guard Cutter Munro Visits Japan, South Korea

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro visited Yokosuka, Japan and the Republic of Korea during international port visits conducted in July and August. In Japan, the Munro conducted training and engagements with the Japan Coast Guard; in Gwangyang, South Korea, the cutter conducted several days of engagements and exchanges with the Korea Coast Guard. The Munro arrived Aug. 6 while deployed in the Indo-Pacific and hosted several members of the Japan Coast Guard for professional exchanges, including showcasing the Munro’s small boat and aerial capabilities and search-and-rescue operations. The visit allowed members of both services to discuss their dual mission…

Evolving Threats: Adapting to Trends in Maritime Cargo Theft

The maritime industry exists to move goods and people via the oceans, lakes and rivers. These goods range from breakbulk—such as wheat, coal, gravel—to thousands of containers moving high-value cargo. Unfortunately, cargo theft in the U.S. is a $15 to $35 billion enterprise that affects seaports, airports, trucking companies and shipping companies daily. The cargo thefts are not necessarily focused on high-value goods such as semi-conductors and precious metals, but also on food and beverages. For instance, in the Seattle area, one thief posed as a Safeway employee and attempted to steal more than $700,000 of king crab for resale.…