Join other port and maritime marketing professionals on April 3 in Houston,Texas, for a day-long workshop focusing on business development skills training. Topics include: corporate diplomacy, negotiation skills training, blockchain/innovative technologies and data visualization. Come a day early and join your port colleagues for a catered, 90-minute networking tour of the Houston Ship Channel aboard the M/V Sam Houston.

PortMiami and South Florida Container Terminal recently celebrated a groundbreaking event for the launch of a new Cargo Densification project. This project will increase the terminal’s operational capacity by making infrastructure improvements that will allow its container storage equipment to convert from top lift loaders to electrified rubber tired gantry. The Virgin Islands Port Authority will begin construction of a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection building at the Victor Sewer Marine Facility in Cruz Bay starting in February.

North Carolina State Port Authority contributes approximately $15.4 billion to the state’s economy every year, according to a 2018 Economic Impact Study conducted by the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University. The Northwest Seaport Alliance released an economic impact report detailing the benefits of marine cargo to the state of Washington. The combined ports of Seattle and Tacoma make up the fourth-largest container gateway in North America, and directly support 20,100 jobs and $1.9 billion in labor income. The marine cargo industry produced an average annual wage of $95,000 and directly supported $5.9 billion in business output.

An online portal at the Port of Oakland has expanded to include transaction times for harbor truckers. The port said its digital enhancement tells drivers how long it takes to pick up or drop off cargo. The feature addresses industry demand for timely supply chain performance data at U.S. ports.

The Port of Duluth-Superior finished the 2018 shipping season on a strong note, having handled 35.9 million short tons of cargo. The Ports of Indiana handled 14.8 million tons of cargo last year, a 25 percent increase over 2017 and a 21 percent increase over its previous record year in 2015. Port NOLA moved more containers in 2018 than at any other time in its history, totaling 591,253 TEUs, up 12.3 percent compared to one year ago. The Port of Savannah moved 4.35 million TEUs in Calendar Year 2018, its highest annual volume ever, and a 7.5 percent increase over 2017.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia will lead a delegation from the Port of Long Beach to discuss commercial opportunities and strengthen international ties with high-ranking government and business leaders in Southeast Asia. The delegation will visit Singapore; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to sit down with Port of Long Beach customers, industry organizations and trade officials for a series of meetings aimed at attracting and retaining more business.