During
a Feb. 23 joint press conference, the mayors of Los Angeles and Long Beach
officially confirmed what the heads of the cities’ two ports have been hinting
at for weeks: that the two entities are joining forces in a number of areas
while still remaining business competitors.
“It’s
time for our twin ports to work together more strategically to operate more
efficiently and reduce congestion,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said during
the afternoon press conference, held on the deck of the USS Iowa floating museum.
Garcetti
said the two ports recently requested permission from the Federal Maritime
Commission to work together on a wide range of issues, including chassis supply
and storage, vessel calls and truck turn times. They also plan to work more
closely to collaborate on marketing, environmental issues, security and
legislative advocacy, he revealed.
“To
be clear, we will still vigorously compete with each other.” Garcetti told Long
Beach and Los Angeles that neither city was trying to “absorb” the other, “But
we can do great things together to attract more ships that move more goods to
put people to work across the supply chain throughout the Southland and our
nation. We’re turning the page so that the proximity to each other can be a
strength.”
“The
shipping industry continues to change and we will change with it, to sharpen
our competitive edge, to make sure that cargo and jobs continue to flow into
Southern California,” Garcetti said.
In
speeches earlier this year, the Port of Long Beach's chief executive and the
Port of LA's executive director each acknowledged that they would work together
more closely in the future, but the Feb. 23 joint press conference was the
first time the cities’ mayors confirmed and expanded upon previous remarks.
“For
Long Beach to succeed, Los Angeles has to succeed. For Los Angeles to succeed,
Long Beach has to succeed,” Garcetti’s counterpart, Long Beach Mayor Robert
Garcia said. “And so we’re committed, along with our port executive teams and
our commissions, to ensure that we begin this new era of cooperation between
the two ports and that we work together in the areas that are appropriate to
ensure that we’re bringing business back to Long Beach and to LA, and to
increase the supply we already have here in place.”
“I
think we’re both excited,” Garcia said, “about the future of our two ports
together.”
