Category: Reports
California Chamber’s Barrera says environmental review streamlining will boost housing & growth
The Building an Affordable California Act (BACA), sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber), is a ballot measure designed to streamline and modernize the construction of essential projects and could result in a multibillion-dollar boost to California’s economy, add new jobs and revenues to help pay for vital government programs, according to Jennifer Barrera CalChamber CEO.
The measure is close to receiving enough signatures to be up for voter approval in November, Barrera said.
Speaking to the Propeller Club of Northern California on April 7th, Barrera argued in favor of streamlining environmental approvals mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (EQA):” Our state has so much potential that’s being locked up by well-intended but outmoded processes, and the Building an Affordable California Act will be a catalyst toward making the state a more affordable place to live and work.”
The “measure would establish strict deadlines for environmental review and judicial proceedings under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act). Public agencies must determine whether an application is complete within 30 days of receipt, or the application is automatically deemed complete. Once complete, the lead agency must decide within 30 days which type of environmental document to prepare. The ballot measure would impose firm timelines for completing CEQA review,” according to the law firm Best, Best & Kreiger.
A review by California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) found evidence of economic benefits of BACA.
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Oakland’s McKenney says lease agreements with three terminals top priority in 2026
In her State of the Port of Oakland speech, Port of Oakland Executive Director Kristi McKenney said her top priority in 2026 is negotiating new lease agreements with the Port’s three largest terminals.
The three terminals are Oakland International Container Terminal, TraPac, and Everport: “We have three primary terminal operators. And right now, my number one priority is working in partnership with those terminal operators to get three new long-term leases in Oakland. So, that’s going to be the focus. As this year comes to a close, we’re going to have new leases with these terminal operators that bring massive investments to Oakland.”
New Cranes at TraPac
McKenney explained: “We already have investments coming to Oakland. Pretty soon, you’re going to see two new 440-foot cranes, raised above the TraPac terminal. I am very excited to see that, and these are the first European-built cranes on the West Coast. A few months from now, two more cranes are going to come and be erected.”
In January, the Port of Oakland welcomed two new container cranes at its TraPac terminal, marking the first time European-built ship-to-shore cranes have been deployed on the US West Coast. The new Liebherr cranes, “manufactured in Ireland, will make that work faster and more energy-efficient, helping the Port operate more smoothly while reducing environmental impacts. Once operational, the cranes will stand more than 440 feet tall—about the height of a 40-to-45-story building—allowing TraPac to handle today’s largest container ships more efficiently by improving reach and enabling containers to be moved more smoothly and consistently, helping reduce time at berth. The cranes are fully electric, which helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels and supports the Port of Oakland’s ongoing efforts to cut emissions while modernizing its infrastructure,” according to a Port announcement.
“These new cranes represent an important investment in the future of the terminal,” said Cameron Thorpe, CEO of TraPac. “They improve efficiency today while helping move the Port toward a greener future.”
“We are very excited, and this is part of the Port’s broader modernization efforts,” said Bryan Brandes, Maritime Director at the Port of Oakland. “We’re focused on making improvements that support reliable operations and long-term environmental goals.”
Meanwhile, McKenney said a new crane will be arriving and will be erected at the Oakland International Container Terminal operated by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA): “In the coming year, we’ll be able to also welcome SSA’s new crane, and that comes on top of cranes that they brought in a few years ago.”
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Jensen says Trump trade policies isolating U.S. and reducing port volumes
The United States is facing growing isolation from its international trading partners because of the Trump administration’s tariff policies, resulting in container volume declines at US ports, according to Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Impact on US Trade and Port Volumes
Jensen was speaking to the Propeller Club of Northern California (PCNC) on February 3rd, where he said the non-stop tariff threats by the Trump administration are undermining US credibility in the world. “The way this is now being perceived is to be quite blunt — nobody is really taking it seriously. This is now being seen as not quite a daily occurrence, but an occurrence that happens multiple times a week. Unless this comes out in an executive order or as an actual rule, nobody cares anymore. This is taken as noise. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any impact. It absolutely does have an impact on container markets related to the United States, but solely related to the US.”
When the Trump administration announced a series of tariffs as part of the so-called ‘Liberation Day’ series in April 2025, it set in motion a rapid decline in US trade volumes: “And the effect of the trade war is very visible, very instant. The moment after we saw the so-called “Liberation Day” (tariffs). What we have seen during the trade war is that the rest of the world has been growing basically twice as fast as what could be expected.
North American trades have been underwater ever since. This is for both imports and exports combined, mitigated somewhat by exports. As a consequence of the trade war, the share of volume attributable to North America is also in a rapid decline. So very simply, all over the world has been doing fantastic when it comes to container volume growth in 2025.”
The impact of these declines will especially impact smaller US ports, reducing their volumes, especially since these ports lack the cargo-handling capacity to load and unload mega container ships, Jensen said.
At the same time, he added, the imposition of US tariffs and the decline of the US dollar will accelerate inflation in the United States.
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Road Dog Trucking & AJOT Interview: Soy Beans and Ports of Long Beach and Portland
Road Dog Trucking Interview with Stas Margaronis of AJOT Re: “Soy Beans and Ports of Long Beach and Portland”
AJOT INTERVIEW: AWO/AMP’S JENNIFER CARPENTER ANALYZES 2025
December 22, 2025
Jennifer A. Carpenter, President & CEO of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), representing the U.S. inland and coastal tugboat industry is also the President of the American Maritime Partnership.
In a video interview with AJOT, Carpenter addressed the following:
*This year’s low water levels on the Mississippi and the long-term challenges for the tug and barge industry.
* Challenges for Congress funding the rebuilding of locks and dams on the inland waterways is on-going. She praised the advocacy work of Waterways Council Inc in support of modernization.
* On the question, of continued support for the Jones Act amid criticism that it should be abolished, Carpenter argued: “Jones Act critics spill a lot of ink and make a lot of noise, but they don’t put America first – they have other priorities, like libertarian trade theology unsupported by American voters, and business interests not shared by the American workforce. Alarmingly, some libertarian dogmatists are alleged to have outright colluded with the European Union in a coordinated effort to undermine the Jones Act.”
* The Trump administration’s cancellation of offshore wind projects in 2025, resulted in project cutbacks at Atlantic and Pacific coast ports. In California, ports at Long Beach and Humboldt Bay were projecting to contract for 10,000 new jobs that are now cancelled including for tug and barge work. Carpenter said businesses need certainty if they are going to move forward with new investments and that prospect is not evident in offshore wind.
*Carpenter discussed the continued challenges women face in the U.S. maritime industry and progress the industry is making.
* Carpenter expressed the hope that the Ships for America Act, which would supports construction and acquisition of over 250 U.S. flag vessels, will eventually be enacted by Congress — in some form.
* Carpenter praised the work that U.S. shipbuilders are doing constructing vessels for the Jones Act fleet and for international trade.
* Carpenter discussed continuing efforts to recruit young people to work in the maritime industry.
AJOT interview with Noel Hacegaba, chief operation officer of the Port of Long Beach
Stas Margaronis, California Ports reporter for the American Journal of Transportation (AJOT), interviews Noel Hacegaba, chief operation officer of the Port of Long Beach on China, Green Energy, UP/NS Merger & More.