Friday, November 27, 2020

Thanksgiving Kindness from CMA CGM,
Port of L.A.

Thanks to the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Port Police and the CMA CGM Group, area families were able to receive 2,000 turkeys this past weekend and three homeless shelters were given 300 meals on Thanksgiving Day.

Last week, port police and LoVLA members gave out 18-pound frozen turkeys to folks in San Pedro and Wilmington, while LAPD delivered turkeys in South Los Angeles. On Thanksgiving Day, port police delivered 300 meals to Wilmington A Bridge Home, Salvation Army’s Sunrise Shelter in San Pedro and San Pedro A Bridge Home run by Harbor Interfaith.

“Families across the Los Angeles region—including our local Harbor community—have endured many unforeseen challenges in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “We hope these donations made possible by CMA CGM will bring a bit of joy and comfort to our community.”

CMA CGM donated the food as part of a larger effort to feed over 35,000 people during the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.

“CMA CGM has a long tradition of giving back to the communities we serve,” said Ed Aldridge, President of CMA CGM America. “There is no doubt that COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how all of us will experience Thanksgiving this year and while it remains an uncertain time, the CMA CGM Group is honored to help Los Angeles families celebrate this important holiday. We are particularly grateful to the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Port Police who are helping make distribution and delivery possible.”

AltaSea at Port of L.A. Celebrates Giving Tuesday

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles will present a Dec. 1 webinar on the role that incubators such as AltaSea play on ocean economy and sustainability.

Featured guests include Giving Pledge philanthropist Melanie Lundquist, Los Angeles City Councilmember and President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council Joe Buscaino.

“Having AltaSea in my district is important not only as an economic driver in our local community, but also the entire Southern California region,” said Buscaino. “California has been the birthplace of innovation from the entertainment industry to Silicon Valley, and I am proud that my council district is the home of ocean innovation and the emerging blue economy.”

AltaSea’s CEO Tim McOsker, Founding Executive Director Jenny Krusoe, and Manager of Advancement Robin Aube will also be featured.

“Having Melanie Lundquist and Councilmember Buscaino on our side is an honor, and their contributions are a huge reason that AltaSea continues to exponentially grow,” said McOsker. “Their generosity helps push AltaSea further into the national spotlight as a leader in the fight for a cleaner ocean and a bluer economy.”

The webinar will take place at 10 a.m. PST on Dec. 1. Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Visit AltaSea-Project-Blue.org/webinars/ to sign up.

Imports Up at NWSA

Imports in October rose 4.7 percent from the same time a year ago at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, according to new numbers released earlier this month by the Northwest Seaport Alliance.

NWSA is attributing the rise to retailers restocking goods in preparation for the holiday shopping season. The alliance expects shipper demand to stay strong through the end of the year.

Overall, the ports moved 296,892 TEUs last month, a 4.2 percent drop from October 2019.

So far, the NWSA has handled more than 2.7 million TEUs this year, down 15.6 percent compared to 2019. Loaded imports and exports fell 13.2 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively.

The ports recently welcomed Ray-Mont Logistics to Seattle Harbor, where the Montreal freight forwarding and logistics firm is opening its first U.S. transload terminal. The company has expertise in agricultural bulk goods.

NOAA Seeks Members

NOAA is looking for as many as four potential members for its Ocean Exploration Advisory Board. The committee consults the NOAA administrator on ocean exploration-related issues, including strategic planning, exploration priorities and competitive grant programs. Committee members will also be able to weigh in on the development of a national program of ocean exploration.

Applicants should be experts in “scientific research relevant to ocean exploration, including marine archaeology, or ocean-science education and communication,” according to NOAA.

Dec. 9 is the deadline to submit applications to serve a three-year term that is renewable one time. There will be three to four meetings annually, besides subcommittee, task force and working group meetings.

For more, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/09/2020-24045/solicitation-of-applications-for-the-ocean-exploration-advisory-board-oeab.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

USCG Suspends Search for Missing Officer

The search for a Tulalip Tribal Police Department Officer who went missing in the waters near Naval Station Everett on the Snohomish River has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday.

“The Coast Guard and our Navy, state, local and Tribal partners saturated the waters of the Snohomish River to locate the missing police officer, but unfortunately we were not able to find him after an extensive search,” said Lt. Zachary Kearney, the Sector Puget Sound command duty officer. “The decision to suspend a search is one of the most difficult decisions the Coast Guard has to make. We search as if one of our own is missing. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the missing Tulalip Tribal officer.”

The officer was one of two men whose 26-foot work skiff had capsized Tuesday. The crew were encountering rough seas and were taking water over the bow, the agency said.

Navy Whidbey Island Search and Rescue found the vessel submerged about 2 feet below the water line, the USCG said. The survivor, who was found near Hat Island and sent for medical care, said he last saw his partner a half hour before being recovered.

If anyone has information about the missing officer, contact Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6001.

Cargo Volumes Up at Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles saw its busiest month in history last month, when the nation’s busiest seaport handled 980,729 TEUs, according to the latest numbers released last week.

That’s 27.3 percent more than October 2019, an increase port officials are attributing to retailers stocking up for the holiday shopping season. The previous record took place in August with 961,833 TEUs.

Los Angeles moved 506,613 TEUs in loaded imports and 143,936 TEUs of loaded exports last month.

“Overall volume has been strong yet the trade imbalance remains a concern,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “For every three and a half containers that are imported into Los Angeles from abroad, only one container leaves filled with U.S. exports. One-way trade will not put Americans back to work and it adds logistical challenges to the supply chain.”

But with COVID-19 cases trending upward, significant swings in the supply chain are likely to continue, Seroka said. “With COVID-19 cases on the rise nationwide, the U.S. economic outlook remains uncertain,” Seroka said. “Volume swings like the one we are seeing are an outgrowth of this uncertainty. We are using Port Optimizer™ data and the expertise of our supply chain partners to prepare for a range of scenarios to respond to market demands in the months ahead.”

Port of Seattle Passes 2021 Budget

The Port of Seattle Commission recently passed its 2021 budget and a five-year, $3.7 billion capital improvement plan focused on economic recovery and investment in the face of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it brings.

“Sticking to our core mission is the best way the Port can respond to the COVID-19 crisis and build an equitable recovery,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbrueck. “This budget invests in the most fundamental lines of business at the Port, work that no other government in the region is set up to do, to help our community survive this crisis and thrive in the coming recovery.”

About 35 percent of the port’s funding is dedicated to capital projects. The five-year plan includes installing COVID-19 safety measures for cruise terminals, bringing shore power to the Pier 66 cruise terminal, enhancing commercial fishing berths 6 & 8 at Terminal 91, developing a new Maritime Innovation Center at Fishermen’s Terminal and designing the upland maritime industrial development at Terminal 91, according to the port.

In 2021, the Northwest Seaport Alliance will start the first phase of efforts to prepare Terminal 5 in West Seattle for the arrival of bigger ships.

“Even as we manage the uncertainty of COVID, we are steering our way towards a positive and transformative year,” said Executive Director Steve Metruck. “Tough economic times forced us to focus our investments to deliver the greatest impact. We will come out of this pandemic stronger, more resilient, and more aware of how we can address inequity in our region.”

Monday, November 23, 2020

Port of Camas-Washougal Nets Grant

The Port of Camas-Washougal recently garnered a $3 million Economic Development Administration grant, which will allow the port to build a new 50,000-square foot industrial building for area manufacturing companies that will be divided into 15 separate 3,300-square-foot bays.

The port was able to obtain this funding with the help of Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

The project is expected to generate 130 jobs and $10.6 million in private investment. It will also help bolster economic activity in the area and draw more business to the port’s industrial park in Washougal.

There’s been a demand for more industrial space in recent years, prompting the port to double its industrial space to over 340,000 square feet. This translated into the construction of four industrial buildings totaling 145,000 square feet and the acquisition of two industrial buildings totaling 41,344 square feet. Visit https://portcw.com/available-real-estate/ for more.