The Port of Long Beach has come a long way since it opened for business nearly 95 years ago, when waterborne trade in Southern California consisted primarily of lumber, fresh fish and the occasional load of citrus, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reports.
Today, the port ranks as one of the globe’s most important international shipping hubs, handling cargo considered vital not only to the U.S. economy, but the world.
This year, economists estimate cargo valued at more than $100 billion will move through the 3,200-acre seaport, about 70 percent of it imported from Asia.
Overseeing this operation is the 353-member Long Beach Harbor Department, the city’s most financially lucrative division and one of the community’s most politically powerful.
