U.S. West Coast Ports and Railroads Promote Trade Gateway

The ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma, along with BNSF Railway Company and Union Pacific Railroad, will showcase the benefits of the U.S. West Coast for trans-Pacific trade at the World Shipping Summit in Qingdao, China, November 11-13.

Together, the West Coast ports handle approximately 70 percent of the containerized trade between Asia and the United States. With large, deep-water marine terminals, robust inland transportation connections, cargo capacity, supply of warehouse and distribution facilities and ample labor force, the West Coast ports provide an advantage over all-water, East Coast shipping options.

U.S. West Coast ports provide more access to more markets with greater connectivity, efficiency and capacity than any another other port region. With billions of dollars in maritime, road and rail infrastructure investments over the past decade, the West Coast ports and railroads are equipped to handle the largest container ships and move cargo rapidly and efficiently across the country.

Additionally, a recent study by Herbert Engineering, a maritime engineering and analysis firm, found that West Coast ports have a distinct environmental advantage. For cargo moving from Asia to destinations across the U.S., utilizing the West Coast ports and western railroads results in far lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions than routes through the Panama and Suez canals.

The major ports and railroads of the region are working together to offer shippers and carriers the best facilities and services for conducting transpacific trade.