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…
