Stas Margaronis, California ports reporter, American Journal of Transportation, spoke with Gene Seroka, executive director, Port of Los Angeles, and discussed a wide range of issues on a Zoom exchange:
· Possible impacts to imports arriving at U.S. ports as a result of the Covid virus shutting or slowing Chinese ports and factories.
· Projections for longshore contract negotiations for U.S. West Coast ports in 2022 and the role of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) dock workers played keeping ports operational during the Covid pandemic.
· The new Biden administration supported a data portal for ports, the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) and its potential benefit to U.S. ports.
· The challenges to California terminals, warehouses and trucking operations of moving to a 24/7 regime.
· The importance of maintaining Port of Oakland sailings to support agricultural exporters.
· The Port of Los Angeles confidence that zero emission goals for trucks and cargo-handling equipment as established by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach’s Clean Air Action Plan will be met.