The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach can begin working together to address congestion after U.S. Federal Maritime commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment this week allowing the two largest U.S. container ports to work together.
The amendment clarifies the roughly two-year-old discussion agreement to allow Los Angeles and Long Beach to collaborate on issues including rail operations, chassis supply and storage, vessels calls, truck turn times and terminal operations. Both ports are rushing to reduce months of backlogged cargo, resulting from prolonged labor negotiations, strong volume, chassis dislocation and shipping alliances’ intensified cargo discharges.
FMC Chairman Mario Cordero, a former member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, said he was optimistic that as landlord ports, the duo could use the amended agreement to “address their serious congestion issues.”
