Several international trade experts spoke at a town-hall meeting this week at Cal State Long Beach to discuss the future of the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
The Panama Canal’s potential advantage is providing a cheaper, all-water route to destinations far from the West Coast, though savings can drop rapidly if fuel prices rise or canal authorities charge excessive tolls.
“The fact remains that Long Beach and Los Angeles still have a large, capable workforce … excellent rail and infrastructure and the ability to serve markets in the Midwest and elsewhere quickly and efficiently, and those are always going to be primary factors in where goods are sent,” said Todd Thomas, an executive with Expeditors International in Los Angeles.