Danny Wan assured the East Bay Economic Development Alliance that his Port would be “poised on the forefront of recovery.” During a Zoom conference, the Executive Director asked Alliance members to help promote the Port as Oakland’s economic engine.
“Millions fly through our Airport, billions of dollars of goods move through our Seaport and 84,000 jobs in Northern California depend on all of that activity,” Mr. Wan told an online audience of 300 corporate and government officials. “Through cross-promotion and business partnerships, we can lead the way back for Oakland and the East Bay.”
Mr. Wan spoke as the Port and businesses worldwide labor under the economic drag of COVID-19. Oakland International Airport passenger traffic declined 96 percent last month, the Executive Director said. Seaport cargo volume dipped 6.5 percent. Recovery will come, but there’s no telling when, he cautioned.
Mr. Wan said the Port would lead recovery because it has historically been the region’s economic driver. Not only that, he said, but the Port has inherent advantages to build on, including the fact that California farmers, among the nation’s most successful exporters in 2020, ship their goods overseas through Oakland.
