Posts Tagged “Port of Los Angeles”
The first ship of 2024 with Chilean fruit arrived at the Port of Los Angeles th week of January 22nd, carrying more than 5,300 pallets of table grapes and stone fruit.
According to a press release issued by the port, it is the only one in the U.S. West Coast that receives specialized refrigerated cargo vessels carrying palletized fruit from Chile.
Departing from the Port of Coquimbo on January 3, the Ivar Reefer was operated by Cool Carriers, a company specialized in directly transporting fruit and other fresh produce. The modern refrigeration and ventilation systems, as well as the thermal insulation of its vessels, allow for optimal conditions and minimal risk of damage to the perishable cargo.
The vessel is the first of dozens that will arrive at the Port of Los Angeles, during the winter season, from January to early April.
“We have become the primary stop for Chilean fruit imports on the West Coast that are distributed as far north as Canada and as far east as Texas,” Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka noted in the release, adding that “being able to efficiently accommodate and process a variety of cargo for our customers – such as today’s fresh breakbulk shipment – remains an important priority for our Port.”
In 2021, the Port of Los Angeles invested nearly $1 million to upgrade its breakbulk building at Berths 54-55, a marine terminal operated by SSA Marine.
The building serves as the Port’s main staging area for pallets of Chilean products, which SSA Marine then quickly distributes using the Port’s extensive network of refrigerated truck services and cold storage facilities.
For more than 25 years, Chilean growers have relied on this specialized port terminal to deliver their fresh produce to North American consumer markets.
More container volume is being handled at the Port of Los Angeles, and a California company is expanding its presence in South Texas.
Container volumes increased over 16 percent from over the previous year at the Port of Los Angeles, which had its busiest July ever. This took place as U.S. ports continue to post record traffic numbers, including the major West Coast entry point for many Central and South American fruits and vegetables.
L.A. had almost 797,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) came through the port, the most in any July since it opened 110 years ago, according to a news release.
The port also set a 12-month shipping record for a Western Hemisphere port during the most recent fiscal years.
Port officials expect the calendar year to break records as well. Container volumes are 9.5 percent over 2016 volume to date, a year that also saw records fall.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union recently extended their contracts with the terminal operators at the port until 2022.
NEW TEXAS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Index Fresh of Bloomington, CA broke ground earlier this year on a new distribution center in South Texas that should be ready to receive fruit sometime in November. The company is anticipating continued growth with the U.S. consumption of avocados.
Index Fresh has used a commercial warehouse facility in the Rio Grande Valley for several years at Crosspoint Cold Storage, but decided it was time to expand and build its own facility.
Located in Pharr, The Index Fresh distribution center is being built a stone’s throw from the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which is a major entry point for Mexican avocados and other fruits and vegetables originating south of the border. The facility will be used to pre-cool and condition the fruit.
It will have the capacity to handle 2,600 pallets of avocados, with 10 separate ripening rooms. Mexico exports more avocados to the U.S. than any country, with South Texas being the most popular port of entry.
Expanding to handle more containerized cargo by investing $600 million has been announced by the Port of Oakland.
Speaking to a maritime audience at the American Association of Port Authorities Conference recently in Tampa, Fla., Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll outlined a partnership designed to increase trade volume by investing in new facilities and better infrastructure.
“We’re building for growth in a shipping industry that is becoming more and more competitive,” Driscoll said in a news release. “By investing with partners who share our vision, we can deliver services that will be of great value to the global supply chain.”
Driscoll noted the port would work with private developers and public agencies to modernize its infrastructure and outlined three proposed investment projects:
- $244 million, mostly from government grants, to separate railroad tracks from major port roadways;
- $90 million for a privately built refrigerated warehouse called “Cool Port;” and
- $50 million to expand the port’s second-largest marine terminal, with private funds.
Driscoll noted that the port recently completed a $100-million railyard near marine terminals and a proposed logistics complex, both of which should be a drawing card for shippers, enabling cargo to be quickly shifted between rail, road and ocean transport.
The Port of Oakland agricultural tonnage grew 233% over the past five years and now represents 53% of the port’s total export tonnage. Fruits and nuts are the leading agricultural commodities shipped from the port. The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront.
The Port of Los Angeles
January 2017 was the busiest January and second busiest month in the Port of Los Angeles’ 110-year history
“Coming off our best year ever in 2016, it’s very encouraging to keep the momentum going into 2017,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a news release. “The port remains diligent, along with our partners, in making the San Pedro Bay supply chain even more efficient through world-class infrastructure, innovative technology solutions and strategic use of resources.”
January 2017 imports increased 13.1% compared to January 2016. Exports increased 28.7% compared to the previous year. Empty containers increased 17.9%. Combined, January 2017 saw a 17.4% increase compared to last year.
Fruit and vegetable imports for January 2017 were 4,885 TEU (20-foot equivalent units), according to Phillip Sanfield, Port of Los Angeles director of media relations. Those imports accounted for 1.1% of the total 415,423 TEUs imported that month. Fruit and vegetable export numbers were not available.