Seattle area fishing and recreational boating industries are significant revenue and job generators, according to a new economic report released by the Port of Seattle. Approximately $671.3 million and 7,000 direct jobs come from commercial fishing facilities on port property, while almost $729 million and more than 3,600 jobs derive from recreational boating related facilities. “Port of Seattle properties related to fishing and recreational boating continue to thrive and anchor economic prosperity while providing over 10,000 good paying, family wage jobs in this region,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Peter Steinbrueck. “This economic impact report confirms that these industries can continue to deliver for decades to come.” The port owns and runs three facilities that are the regional fishing industry’s core assets: Fishermen’s Terminal, the Maritime Industrial Center and Terminal…
Port of Oakland officials assured shipping executives in a letter sent earlier this week that the port remains committed to growing its maritime business. This comes shortly after the commission agreed to a term sheet that would allow the Oakland Athletics to move forward on plans for a 35,000-seat stadium with nearby housing at the port’s Howard Terminal. “In partnership with you, we’ve achieved great things at the Port of Oakland,” the port said in a letter signed by President of the Board of Port Commissioners Ces Butner and Port Executive Director Chris Lytle. “The plan now is to build on our momentum.” The terms call for the baseball team to complete an environmental impact report and secure public agency approvals within four years before board members would consider a…
An International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) worker has died and another was seriously injured Wednesday in an industrial accident at a Port of Los Angeles container terminal. The incident involving a top loader container handler happened around 7:25 a.m. at Fenix Marine Services at Pier 300, according to the port. The injured worker was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center. The employees’ names have not yet been released. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this tragic accident and to all the brothers and sisters of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It’s particularly tragic that this accident occurred on the day of the ILWU’s annual ‘First Blood’ event, which honors those who have lost their lives working on…
Could bulk shipping operations return to the Port of Oakland for the first time in two decades? This week, port commissioners authorized talks to start with Vancouver-based Eagle Rock Aggregates on a potential 15-year lease for one berth on Outer Harbor. According to the port, the Canadian building materials shipper is looking for a vessel berth and 20 acres of adjacent land at the Port’s Outer Harbor Terminal for sand and gravel transport and distribution to construction sites in the Bay Area. “This is an opportunity for us to perhaps diversify our business,” said John Driscoll, the port’s Maritime Director. “We’ve built the Port of Oakland to be a global gateway for containerized cargo but a steady, divergent revenue stream could be beneficial.”
By Karen Robes Meeks Washington State saw its first marine terminal surpass one million TEUs in a year when SSA Marine’s Terminal 18 reached the milestone earlier this month. “To reach 1 million TEUs at a Puget Sound terminal for the first time is an enormous achievement and a testament to the value of working together under the banner of The Northwest Seaport Alliance,” said Don Meyer, Port of Tacoma commission president and co-chair of the NWSA. The North Harbor terminal, which is on its way to 1.1 million TEUs by year’s end, credits the success to an agreement with ILWU Local 19 to launch “continuous vessel operations,” allowing breaks to be staggered so more cargo can be handled daily. This allowed SSA to handle 5,500 containers on and off…
By Karen Robes Meeks The Port of Long Beach is on the way to a record year for the second consecutive year. Long Beach moved 621,835 TEUs last month, 1.5 percent higher than November 2017, adding to the port’s 2018 tally of 7,349,377 TEUs. With volumes up 7.3 percent for the year, officials predict that the numbers will surpass last year’s record of 7,544,507 TEUs. “American retailers are stocking up on goods made in China to avoid anticipated higher tariffs,” said Port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “You’re seeing the opposite effect on the other side of the ocean. Chinese businesses seem to be already looking to other countries for goods and raw materials, meaning there’s less demand for American exports and more empty containers are being shipped.” Imports last month…
