The Port of Los Angeles has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Shafter and The Wonderful Company to enhance two-way trade links with California’s Central Valley.
The initiative aims to increase the volume of US exports passing through the port and its terminals.
At the heart of the agreement is the Wonderful Logistics Center, a 3,400-acre, master-planned industrial development owned by The Wonderful Company.
Strategically located along the BNSF rail mainline in Shafter, near Bakersfield, the logistics hub already serves major companies such as Ross, Amazon, Target, and Walmart. The centre is well-positioned to facilitate exports from the San Joaquin Valley and surrounding regions.
“Both The Wonderful Company and the City of Shafter have a well-planned vision for creating jobs and promoting economic growth in the Central Valley, and the Port of Los Angeles stands ready to help,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles.
“This agreement represents our commitment to support faster and more efficient service to and from the Central Valley right to our terminals and to markets across the world.”
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Key elements of the agreement include:
- Promoting sustainable and efficient trade connections between the Wonderful Logistics Center and the port.
- Conducting exporter outreach in the Central Valley.
- Developing mutually beneficial business opportunities.
- Educating supply chain stakeholders on the partnership’s benefits to the state and national economy.
- Sharing best practices in workforce training and goods movement.
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As part of the partnership, The Wonderful Company will construct a new international rail terminal at the Logistics Center, expected to be completed in 2026.
The facility will feature a dedicated shuttle train linking the San Pedro Bay port complex with Shafter, increasing efficiency, capacity, and delivering environmental benefits by reducing truck traffic.
The agreement also supports the Port of Los Angeles’s ongoing efforts to better utilise surplus empty containers and improve logistics for agricultural exporters.
In May, the Port of Los Angeles handled 716,619 TEUs, representing a 5 per cent decrease compared to the same month last year. This marked the port’s lowest monthly volume in over two years. Following 10 consecutive months of year-on-year growth, cargo movement slowed, largely due to the impact of tariffs affecting both imports and exports.
