The Port of Redwood City will celebrate Maritime Month and how the port serves as an economic engine, bringing $9.3 million to the economy last fiscal year, thanks largely to the maritime industry. 

Due to public gathering restrictions and social distancing recommendations associated with COVID-19, the Port of Coos Bay announced the annual Blessing of the Fleet and Memorial Service will be cancelled for 2020. Port Fourchon has continued moving forward unimpeded reported Executive Director Chett Chiasson, giving credit to the hard-working staff, guidance and oversight of the Board of Commissioners, and valued tenants, in an update on the state of the port. The Port of San Diego, title sponsor of the Big Bay Boom, and event producer Sandy Purdon jointly announce the 2020 fireworks show will not go on as planned this coming Fourth of July. Like many events this year, the Big Bay Boom is going virtual. A 55-gallon barrel at the Port of Tacoma is a good example of how a small, nimble company can have an unexpected positive impact on the supply chain.

Two longtime employees at the Port of Long Beach were promoted to lead the Environmental Planning and Business Development divisions after serving as acting directors. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the promotions of Matt Arms, who will take over the full-time role as director of environmental planning, and Roger Wu, who will lead the business development division.

In a video conference hosted by the Port of Los Angeles, Executive Director Gene Seroka addressed port operations, the use of drones to ensure the port remains safe and secure, impact of cargo flow and supply chain trends due to the pandemic, as well as his role as the city’s appointed chief logistics officer during the crisis. Watch the video here.

As port facilities continue to be upgraded with new technology and equipment, the question is not whether it’s needed, but how to best incorporate it without disrupting the operations of a smooth-running port.

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is continuing to make progress on the rebuild of the Charleston Ice Plant, with a planned reopen date of August 2020.  Broward County’s Port Everglades is advancing $1.6 billion in infrastructure improvements that are underway and expected to be completed in the next five years. (Watch the Port expansion video in English or Spanish.) A channel deepening project will move forward at the Port of Galveston. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will complete engineering and design resulting in a set of plans and specification ready for solicitation to deepen the last 2,571 feet of the Galveston Ship Channel to 46 feet, under a design agreement signed with the Galveston Wharves.

The national port sector (public ports and private terminals) in Brazil handled 247.1 million tons in the first quarter of 2020. The number corresponds to a decrease of 1.1% in relation to the same period last year. Monthly volume at Port Houston, the 6th largest container port in the United States, showed a decline in April as the coronavirus outbreak continued to impact commerce in the U.S. and across the world. Port Houston handled a total of 221,540 TEUs in April, a decrease of 12% compared to April of 2019, when a total of 252,693 TEUs were handled. Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact trade at the Port of Long Beach in April with fewer cargo containers moving through the nation’s second-busiest seaport. Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 519,730 TEUs last month, down 17.3% from April 2019, which remains the port’s busiest April on record. The North Carolina State Ports Authority set a new record for refrigerated container volume. North Carolina Ports moved 1,459 refrigerated containers - 2,918 TEUs – through the Port of Wilmington during the month of April. Port of Oakland loaded container volume edged up last month but a likely downturn is ahead. That was the message port officials delivered as the coronavirus pandemic pressured global trade. The port reported that April loaded container volume increased 1.4% compared to the same month last year. Export loads rose 3.6%, the port said, while imports dipped 0.9%. The Port of Virginia’s April cargo volumes were down nearly 16% when compared with last year as the port and the shipping industry continue to deal with the effects of the ongoing pandemic on world trade. In a PortalPortuario media report, the Manzanillo Comprehensive Port Administration announced that in the first quarter of the year 469 merchant ships had arrived, representing a drop of 7.5% compared to 2019. T21 announced that the Ministry of Communications and Transportation reported a 10.4% decrease in the arrival of cruises to Mexican ports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 958 in the first quarter of 2019, to 858 in January to March of this year. According to a statistical report from the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation, the port system of Mexico moved 69,758,510 tons of cargo during the first quarter of 2020, experiencing a drop of 7.9% compared to the same period in 2019.

Woods Hole Group solves environmental engineering problems worldwide with a focus on serving clients along the coast, in the ocean, and in wetland and terrestrial environments. Relying on service, excellence and leadership, Woods Hole Group employs experienced engineers, scientists, and technicians. Woods Hole Group is currently organized into three business units, focused on: Environmental Consulting & Monitoring of the Climate; Oceanographic Services for Energy & Mining; and Sustainable Fisheries Management. The synergy between these teams allows Woods Hole Group to provide a wide range of services while minimizing corporate infrastructure. Specialty technologies include: coastal engineering, high resolution numerical modeling; climate change vulnerability assessments and sustainable design; real-time oceanographic measurement systems; ocean current and weather forecasting; satellite tracking services; fisheries VMS; and ecological risk assessments. The company has supported a diverse government, private and industrial client base since 1986, and is pleased to be part of the global CLS Group since 2017.

Foreign-Trade Zone Manager - Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Port Everglades

Senior Executive, Ocean Transportation, Nationwide, USA; Confidential

Vice President, Development, New Orleans, LA; Port of New Orleans

Director of Maritime, Oakland, CA; Port of Oakland

Academic Professional Track (Non-tenure): Instructional Assistant Professor, College Station, TX; Texas A&M University