Page 14: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Sep/Oct 2017)

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INSIGHTS

West Coast

Intermodal Update t has been a busy year at the port of Long Beach, CA. Lou Many economists insist that the economy is “in a sweet

Anne Bynum, Harbor Commission President at the Port spot right now.” Projections are for the global economy to

Iof Long Beach, declared in early October, “Simply put, grow more than 3 percent in next year. On the other hand, we are having the best trade months in port history.” Indeed, in order to plan, port executives need to know what’s going the port moved more containers last month than in any Sep- to happen a decade from now. What are you planning for?

tember in its history. The 701,619 twenty-foot equivalent In the latest panel here [at AAPA], I gave the report of what’s units (TEUs) processed in Long Beach for September — up been forecasted. In 2040, you’re looking to the tune of maybe 28.3 percent — resulted in the port’s best quarter ever. In 40 million TEU’s. In 2025; somewhere in the neighborhood of the third quarter, the Port of Long Beach handled 2,114,306 27 million TEUs. So it is signifcant growth, and when I say

TEUs, as volumes swelled 15.9 percent over the same pe- ‘signifcant,’ these weren’t the expectations that were made riod last year. early on. And, to be more specifc, 2030 we’re projecting to

Imports increased 29.5 percent in September to 366,298 28.3 million TEU’s, in 2040, 41 million. This year, we’re see-

TEUs. Exports rose 4.1 percent, to 125,336 containers. Emp- ing growth – at least for the calendar year – to the tune of 6.4 ty containers moving out of Long Beach to be reflled with percent, so our projection is 7 percent.

goods overseas totaled 209,985 TEUs, up 46.4 percent. But, says the port, the huge jump in cargo last month relative to a Your predecessor told me in March that you [Long Beach] year ago is only partly due to the Hanjin bankruptcy that hit are nowhere near capacity and you could do a lot more

West Coast ports in September 2016. But, there’s much more with what you have. Where do you see your capacity at than that to report. right now? If you had to go to maximum capacity right now

In April, the nationwide search for the Port of Long Beach’s inside these terminals that you have, what do you think

Executive director ended, when the Long Beach Board of Har- you could handle?

bor Commissioners voted to name Cordero, former chairman Let me give you a good example of that question. Our lat- and member of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), as est development of our terminal is the Long Beach Container the Port of Long Beach’s new Executive Director. Cordero terminal. After Phase 3, and we’re entering the last phase of brings to Long Beach considerable experience, both in terms that project, after Phase 3, it was scheduled to be completed of global commercial savvy, and as someone who knows his late 2019. That terminal alone will be able to move 3.5 mil- way around the Hill. lion containers. So it actually will be double of what that

Cordero, a Long Beach resident and attorney, served previ- container terminal was able to move in years past, prior to ously as president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Com- this development.

missioners. His tenure at FMC stretches back to 2011, where he served as chairman from April 2013 until January 2017. So, that’s just around the corner?

Today, he oversees the nation’s second-busiest seaport, lead- That’s just around the corner. We have six terminals on the ing the port’s Harbor Department staff of more than 500 peo- Long Beach side, container terminals; four of which I think ple with an annual budget of nearly $800 million. will have capacity that will be signifcant, given that those ter-

In October, Cordero sat down with MLPro Editor Joseph minals will have the ability, in the case of Long Beach Con-

Keefe at the annual AAPA Conference for a one-on-one dis- tainer Terminal, of receiving a vessel as large as a 22,000 TEU cussion that ran the full gamut of local port issues; from local capacity. I think that we’re prepared for this cargo growth and chassis issues, all the way to global market drivers. I feel very optimistic that we will have that capacity.

14 Maritime Logistics Professional September/October 2017 | |