Massive changes in the shipping industry — namely larger vessels and the formation of mega-alliances — have had a ripple effect across the entire supply chain. But perhaps the greatest impact has been felt by the seaports which have to make enormous infrastructure and operational improvements in order to compete for the bigger ships. The new requirements have ushered in a new era for ports.
Due in part to these changes seaports, around the world have been challenged to adapt and evolve. Ultimately, the goal is to find the means to turn these challenges into opportunities, and meet the needs of cargo owners.
Evolution
We believe the next phase in the evolution of our port — or even the next paradigm shift in our industry — is our willingness to give our customers what they want and need, and to work together with all industry stakeholders to face any issues in the supply chain that may be adding unnecessary cost and time.
We’re working to do that, and failure is not an option — not for the communities and industries we serve, nor for our state and national economy. There’s simply too much at stake.
Today, the San Pedro Bay ports continue to command the lion’s share of all US containerised imports. Our deep harbour, prime location on the Pacific Rim and our superior intermodal connections and physical infrastructure remain our top competitive advantages. However, the competition is working to catch up. According to the American Association of Port Authorities, ports across the country, collectively, are planning to spend US$46 billion by 2017…
