Next week, the senior White House advisor on infrastructure, Mitch Landrieu will speak about the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in port infrastructure and the continued efforts to implement those investments efficiently, at the AAPA Legislative Summit: Strong Ports, Strong America taking place in the Waldorf Astoria Washington, D.C.

 

Mitch Landrieu serves as senior advisor to the President and infrastructure coordinator responsible for coordinating the implementation of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the most significant and comprehensive investment in America’s infrastructure. Landrieu served as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. When he took office, the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. He kick-started the city’s recovery by fast-tracking over 100 projects and securing billions in federal funding for schools, hospitals, parks, and critical infrastructure. Read his full bio here.

 

For a preview heading into the Legislative Summit, Dan Ronan of Transport Topics News interviews AAPA President and CEO Chris Connor. Read the article here.

AAPA has partnered with Trade Currents to improve its collection and reporting of critical port trade data that will not only support the needs of our members, but also benefit the broader trade and logistics industry, research community, and private institutions. The founding partners of Trade Currents include internationally recognized economists and trade analysts Dr. Walter Kemmsies, Andrei Roudoi and Scudder Smith. The following article is a first of a series for which Trade Currents will analyze the data that has been collected from various public sources and port members.

A global pandemic has to be near the top of the list of the most disruptive events that have affected shipping patterns, with every country and all segments of their economies being impacted. It is not surprising that freight movement, and container shipping in particular, has been struggling. This is quite visible in the chart showing international container volume flows at the 10 largest container ports in the U.S. In August 2020, import volumes handled by these ports exceeded 2 million TEUs for the first time, and, except for February 2021, stayed at those peak levels for 25 months until August 2022.

The Montreal Port Authority and Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS), a company that specializes in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to shipping, announced the launch of a new project to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of vessels using the Port of Montreal that makes the most of AI.

As environmental champions, the Port of San Diego works to preserve the resources of San Diego Bay for many generations to come. In January 2023, the port released the results of its first study on carbon storage in eelgrass beds. After the study was finalized and released to the public, a unit conversion error was discovered in the calculations, resulting in an overestimation of carbon storage. As a public agency that values transparency, the port is now releasing the revised study with updated and corrected figures.

GPA is reporting February container trade at the Port of Savannah of nearly 395,000 TEUs. Last month was its second busiest February ever, after 2022 when GPA moved 460,400 TEUs. At the Port of Brunswick, trade in autos and heavy machinery increased 18.5% in February, or 8,227 units to 52,720 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo.

Port of Long Beach dockworkers and terminal operators moved 543,675 TEUs last month, down 31.7% from February 2022, which was the port’s busiest February on record. Imports declined 34.7% to 254,970 TEUs and exports decreased 5.9% to 110,919 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the port were down 38.3% to 177,787 TEUs.

The Port of Los Angeles processed 487,846 TEUs in February, a 43% decrease from the previous February’s all-time record. “February declines were exacerbated by an overall slowdown in global trade, extended Lunar New Year holiday closures in Asia, overstocked warehouses and a shift away from West Coast ports,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

NWSA total container volume for February decreased 24.3% to 225,747 TEUs. Full imports declined 34% as imports continue to struggle due to ongoing soft demand and uncertainty around the PMA-ILWU contract negotiations. Full exports declined 0.3% but remain positive 1.5% YTD. Total TEUs declined 23.1% YTD to 438,842 TEUs, with full imports declining 32.1%.

The first step in Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project is underway as the Port of Brownsville’s dredged material placement area improvement project began in early February. The historic BIH Channel Improvement project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet.

The Port of Oakland’s Board of Commissioners approved an environmental ordinance at its March 9 meeting. The port law includes requiring tenants that operate cargo-handling equipment (CHE) to create a plan for converting CHE to zero-emissions. Port tenants have until December 31, 2023, to create a cargo-handling equipment conversion plan. The ordinance will allow the port to work collaboratively with its business partners to support an efficient and timely transition to zero emissions.

PortMiami recently marked the first time in history that a cargo vessel, the Motor Vessel (M/V) Seaboard Blue, was bunkered at PortMiami using liquified natural gas (LNG) as a fuel. Shell, using its Q4000 bunker barge, filled the Seaboard Blue with LNG prior to its inaugural southbound sailing to Honduras and Guatemala. 

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority’s (Port of Cleveland) Board of Directors approved a construction contract that moves the critical Irishtown Bend Rehabilitation and Stabilization project forward. The Port of Cleveland’s contract with Wade Trim, Inc., and its partners totals $3.64 million. This agreement is the result of a public request for qualifications by the port, which determined Wade Trim Inc., in partnership with G. Stephens Inc., Resource International, Inc., and KS Associates, Inc., to be the most qualified team for the project.

Port Saint John announced it has joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative — a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices. With this announcement, Port Saint John proudly joins thousands of other companies globally committed to taking responsible business action to create the world we all want.

A newly completed wharf improvement project to enable a terminal to welcome newer, larger and cleaner ships, and a recently approved pact to ensure an ample supply of skilled workers for future construction projects, were both celebrated in a combined event March 9 at the Port of Long Beach.

Port Senior Equipment Mechanic, Oakland, CA; Port of Oakland

Electronics Officer, U.S. Merchant Marine, Nationwide; American Radio Association