Mayor, Harbor Commission President lead delegation to build relationships
Skyline of Seoul, South Korea
Skyline of Seoul, South Korea
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum are leading a Port of Long Beach business development trip to South Korea and Japan this week, for vital meetings with shipping industry leaders. The delegation, which includes Port Executive Director Mario Cordero and Chief Commercial Officer Noel Hacegaba, will discuss shipping trends and seek to gain insight on future business opportunities. The group will stop in Seoul, Tokyo and Yokkaichi, a sister city of Long Beach. “With the recent changes in the shipping industry, this is a crucial time to meet face-to-face with our customers to expand business opportunities for the Port of Long Beach,” said Garcia. “These relationships are key to generating even more economic development in Long Beach.” “Our business development outreach is one of the main reasons that the Port of Long Beach is known for its customer service,” Bynum said. “Our customers deeply value these meetings. It’s important for us to reaffirm our commitment to being adaptable, nimble and responsive to industry concerns.” Earlier this year, the industry “realigned” the vessel-sharing alliances that allow groups of companies to join forces to compete against the rest of the industry. Ocean carriers routinely transport containers of allied companies. The changes in alliances also affect the ports that the carriers visit. The Port of Long Beach this year has seen increasing cargo movement thanks to improving consumer demand and the Port’s ability to meet the challenges of the alliance restructuring. Just one year after the loss of a major ocean carrier customer to bankruptcy, the Port is seeing record volume. In addition, the Port of Long Beach is undergoing $4 billion in capital improvement projects this decade that are serving to improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of cargo movement through the Port. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a primary gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in innovative goods movement, safety and environmental stewardship. The Port is served by 175 shipping lines with connections to 217 seaports worldwide. A major economic engine for the region, the Port handles trade valued at more than $180 billion each year and supports hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.