San Pedro Bay News

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending new notification alarms and procedures for potential incursions on pipelines and a change to an anchorage off the California coast following a crude oil release in 2021 caused by ship anchors damaging an underwater pipeline.NTSB investigators determined that the oil leak, which began on October 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay, resulted from an anchor strike on the pipeline that occurred eight months earlier, when anchors…

The Port of Los Angeles has recognized the achievements of more than two dozen shipping lines and carriers for participating in the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP), an air quality and annual incentive program for vessel operators who reduce their speed as they approach or depart the port.The voluntary program is one of many sustainability efforts currently underway at the Port to reduce emissions and decarbonize operations.Emission reductions are achieved under the…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach and C40 Cities have begun discussions to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex. The corridor will focus on low- and zero-carbon fuels for bunkering, as well as digital tools to support deployment of low- and zero-carbon ships.This collaborative effort supports the Green Shipping Challenge launched during the World Leaders’ Summit at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this week.

America's top container ports Los Angeles and Long Beach are cracking down on ocean carriers whose containers linger on terminals as clogged U.S. seaports struggle to keep up with record box volumes.Under the new policy, developed in coordination with the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and multiple supply chain stakeholders, and set to take effect November 1, the ports will charge ocean carriers for each truck-bound container dwelling nine days or more and rail containers that sit for three days or more.

The company that operates the pipeline that spilled an estimated 3,000 barrels of oil into the Pacific Ocean off California has an 800-page manual on handling an oil spill - but it is unclear whether its employees followed those procedures.Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp and several state and federal regulatory agencies have provided differing accounts of what happened on Oct. 2, when the pipeline spill that fouled beaches, killed wildlife, and closed down fishing along miles of coastline was officially reported.The U.S.

A section of the oil pipeline that burst off the Southern California coast was displaced 105 feet (32 meters) across the ocean floor, officials said on Tuesday, fueling speculation that a ship's anchor may have caused the environmental disaster.The revelation came as the U.S. Coast Guard and drilling company Amplify Energy Corp came under further scrutiny about the time it took to respond to the spill, amid reports that mariners first reported seeing oil in the water on Friday night…

Supply chain issues tied to liner shipping have been front page news throughout 2021; just about everyone agrees that there’s a problem. The underlying cause is right out of Economics 101: a surge in demand for moving containerized cargo, in the face of “inelastic” throughput capacity (which includes vessels and their landside interfaces to surface transportation, trucks and rail) that could not handle the swell, attributable to re-stocking of containerized cargo as economic activity recovered from the pandemic induced jolts.

A record 60 container vessels are at anchor or adrift in the San Pedro Bay, waiting to be unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach seaports and another 20 are due to arrive in coming days, a port executive said on Wednesday.With the pandemic still raging around the world, U.S. consumers have not fully resumed previous spending on restaurants and travel, yet they continue to splurge on goods ranging from appliances and home exercise equipment to sweatpants and toys.Volume at the Port of Los Angeles - the busiest U.S.

The Port of Long Beach announced it has completed a new container terminal, which it ranks as one of the world's most technologically advanced cargo facilitiesThe Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor is equipped with nearly all electric and zero-emissions equipment designed to improve cargo flow and dramatically enhance air quality amid an era of significant growth at the nation’s second-busiest seaport.“As the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission mega terminal…

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue their record-breaking start to the year, exceeding pre-pandemic records again and again. Already under pressure to handle a throughput that has broken the pre-pandemic record every month for 11 months in a row, practically all ports in the US will have to continue to run fast to keep up, as peak season starts breathing down their necks.In May, loaded imports and total throughput in both ports broke their previous highs. In the Port of LA, 535,714 loaded TEU were imported, up from the previous record of 490,127 TEU.

North American import of containerized goods from the Far East soared to a noteworthy high of 1.62m TEU during February 2021, a 100% increase from the low point of the same month last year. Fueled by US stimulus, volumes moving on the trans-pacific trade lane to consumers and businesses in North America thereby defied all obstacles during a month usually characterized by slow activity.In particular, the US economic stimulus packages have worked magic for the container shipping industry…

The year 2021 has started in much the same way as 2020 ended for U.S. container imports; import volumes are still surging. As per usual seasonality, volumes came down a little in January and February, though this year the drop wasn’t as steep as usual, says shipping organization BIMCO. Imports by the two San Pedro Bay ports in California rose 27.8% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2020. Although last year’s comparison is low due to the COVID-19 impact…

The Port of Los Angeles and cargo shipping lines are diverting some ships to other West Coast ports as a six-month import surge strains capacity at the busiest gateway for ocean trade in the United States.Container lines such as Hapag Lloyd and CMA CGM are temporarily diverting some sailings to Oakland and other West Coast ports to ease record backlogs at the Port of Los Angeles and the adjacent Port of Long Beach. Sixty-two ships are anchored in San Pedro Bay, with an average wait of eight days to enter the Southern California port complex.

Trans-Pacific short vs long contract freight rate gap hits record $2,400 per FEUAs the year 2020 continues to deliver positive surprises for the container shipping sector, the gap between short and long term contract freight rates on the Trans-Pacific trade lane has never been wider, according to a recent market note from BIMCO, noting that conditions are right for carriers to achieve higher long term contract rates.On 17 September, for containers shipped from the Far East into the US west coast…

Port of Long Beach (PoLB) informed that the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously to promote Heather Tomley, a widely respected Southern California leader in environmental improvement programs, to Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs for the Harbor Department.Tomley, with the Department since 2005, has served as the Acting Managing Director for the past 12 months while the Port conducted a nationwide search for candidates for the executive position.“Heather has deep experience creating and managing cutting-edge projects that have dramatically improved air quality and earned crucial industry cooperation…

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have released a report on the current state of clean cargo-handling equipment technology as they begin working toward the Clean Air Action Plan’s 2030 goal of a zero-emissions fleet at the nation’s largest seaport complex.A draft assessment was released in April. It examined the current state of technology, operational characteristics, economic considerations, infrastructure availability and commercial readiness relating to cleaner cargo-handling equipment. The updated report incorporates community feedback that is available at this link.The CAAP also has a goal to transform its fleet of drayage trucks to zero-emissions by 2035.

For the fourth consecutive month, the Port of Los Angeles (PoLS) has set a new single-month cargo record. In July, the Port moved 912,154 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), the busiest July in the Port’s 112-year history.A press release form PoLS, also called America's Port, quotes Executive Director Gene Seroka as saying that: "Container exchange per vessel reached 9,915 TEUs, the highest and most efficient level we’ve ever experienced. Despite the continued decline in exports and high level of uncertainty driven by trade tensions, we continue to optimize our facilities and are grateful for the support and confidence of our supply chain partners.”July 2019 imports increased 8.7% to 476,438 TEUs compared to the previous year.

Volumes Increase 9.4% Compared to Previous Year.For the fourth consecutive month, the Port of Los Angeles has set a new single-month cargo record. In July, the Port moved 912,154 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), the busiest July in the Port’s 112-year history. “Container exchange per vessel reached 9,915 TEUs, the highest and most efficient level we’ve ever experienced,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Despite the continued decline in exports and high level of uncertainty driven by trade tensions…

Look beneath the surface of a relatively calm month for long-term contracted ocean freight rates and, says Oslo-headquartered Xeneta, industry observers will see a maelstrom of activity, adjustments and market uncertainty.According to the latest XSI Public Indices report from Xeneta, the leading ocean freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform, July saw a marginal decline in rates of 0.4%, with a marked fall in the Far East export benchmark. Meanwhile US exports and European imports performed well.The global index has now fallen by 2.4% since its all time high in May this year…

Eagle Marine Services (EMS), an EQT Infrastructure III-owned container terminal which is one of the largest in the Twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, today announced the launch of a new corporate brand identity and name.Effective immediately, the organization will be known as Fenix Marine Services. The Fenix name represents the reinvention of what was once the most technologically advanced facility in North America.The rebranding also marks an important milestone in the company’s execution of its value creation plan, which includes over $70 million in investments in 2018 and nearly double that in the coming years.The company has fast tracked the plan and…

The Harbor Performance Enhancement Center (HPEC), a unique $130 million-dollar public-private partnership dedicated to facilitating sustainable freight movement and supply chain efficiencies throughout the United States, has completed a strategic transaction with Macquarie Principal Finance, to provide capital for the development of the 5.5 million square foot container staging hub located at Terminal Island in the Port of Los Angeles (POLA). As detailed in a brief video, the public-private project will transform 110 acres that is currently fallow and bring the latest technology and a unique set of operating capabilities to bear on the challenges that currently constrain freight flow through the busiest port in the Western Hemisphere.

About 500 people gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center for the event, which brings together a panel of shipping and trade experts to offer their perspectives on industry trends and how they affect the San Pedro Bay port complex. One of the panelists, Drewry Maritime Research Senior Quantitative Economist Mario Moreno, predicted Asia-U.S. trade will grow 6.8 percent in 2018, the fastest pace in more than half-a-dozen years. He also estimated the overall U.S. economy will expand 2.8 percent. While President Donald Trump and China have proposed higher tariffs, an all-out trade war between China and the United States appears unlikely, according to Moreno. “Both nations have a lot to lose,” Moreno said.

Last  month was the second busiest in the Port's history. The Port of Los Angeles handled 808,728 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in January 2018, the second-busiest January in the port’s history behind last January’s record of 826,640 TEUs. While a slight decrease compared to last January’s record, it’s significantly higher than the port’s most recent 5-year January average of 683,003 TEUs. "After two consecutive years of record-breaking cargo, it’s encouraging to start 2018 with robust volumes,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. Strong January volumes are due in part to retail stores replenishing inventories after the holidays, and cargo ships calling ahead of the Lunar New Year, when goods from Asia slow down considerably.