In the wake of a year we won’t soon forget, 2016 promises to deliver a formidable mix of industry challenges, turning points and opportunities. In the containerized cargo trade, the continually changing landscape will keep pressure on seaports to engage with their industry stakeholders, not as landlords but as partners and solution enablers.
Supply chain optimization will continue to be our drive. Adjusting to larger vessels this past year, our terminals and longshore labor force made great strides in processing significantly higher container volumes per ship call. But there is still much to do to improve cargo velocity all the way through to drayage and rail conveyance. To that end, ports should be prepared to sustain high levels of communication and collaboration with their terminals and supply chain partners.
Completion of the Panama Canal expansion project and potential approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership will usher in new trade lanes and business opportunities for ports and shippers alike. To maximize these opportunities and ensure U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace, my hope is that in 2016 our nation is equipped with a national freight policy and dedicated funding program that integrates all modes of goods movement and serves as a foundation for continued improvement in the supply chain.
Moving forward, we need to continue to demonstrate to policymakers that freight infrastructure and supply chain efficiency have a direct correlation with stronger trade and economic opportunities for our regional communities and the nation at large.
Gene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles