Port of Oakland officials said this week that they expect to take on upcoming changes to container shipping alliances with little disruption. The news should be welcomed by importers and exporters fearful of fallout as ocean carriers switch partners next month.
“We’ve spoken to the shipping lines, we’ve spoken to our marine terminal operators and we understand their schedules,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “We’re confident that Oakland will be able to accommodate the newly formed alliances efficiently.”
The Port said it expects cargo volume to hold steady once new alliances begin operation April 1. It said fewer but larger ships will visit Oakland weekly, laden with more ocean containers. The change reflects industrywide consolidation as shipping lines cut excess vessel capacity to trim costs.
Eleven of the world’s largest container shipping lines are coming together in three new alliances. The carriers are changing partners after bankruptcy, acquisitions and consolidation roiled container shipping in 2016.