Major California Ports Ink Data Partnership

Image: The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

In an effort to advance a digital strategy to help California’s competitive edge on trade, five seaports in the state agreed April 25 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that kicks off the California Port Data Partnership.

Under the agreement, the Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Hueneme and San Diego seaports have agreed to move as one on “advance computerized and cloud-based data interoperability with a common goal of supporting improved freight system resilience, goods movement efficiency, emissions reduction, and economic competitiveness,” according to the April 26 announcement.

The agreement and partnership have been months in the making, allowing the ports to maximize $27 million from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to develop a port data system that would allow supply chain stakeholders to better plan for and track cargo movement and bolster supply chain efficiency.

“The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is a first-of-its-kind agreement on data system development among containerized ports and outlines 11 areas of cooperation, ranging from developing data definitions to ensuring equitable access to data for users,” Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz Director and Senior Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, said. “This MOU and the funds that follow will build the basis for greater cooperation and standardization when it comes to data in our supply chain.”

Data was essential to navigating supply chain disruption, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said. 

“Analytics from that data allows us to see around corners, which is not just a competitive advantage, it’s now a public necessity,” he said.

By Karen Robes Meeks