The city of Los Angeles plans to use a new alliance with China Shipping Container Lines to boost local employment and help businesses.
The initiative is designed to bring companies to Los Angeles and teach ones already here how to grow.
Shanghai-based China Shipping has a base of customers that the city hopes to tap. China Shipping would introduce city officials to shipping clients interested in opening offices and plants here, and the city in turn would help the newly located company with a range of issues, from how to take advantage of state enterprise zones to guidance through zoning and permitting questions.
“We can match them up better by working in partnership with China Shipping,” said Austin Beutner, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s first deputy, shortly before he resigned to explore a run for mayor.
Beutner said he would like to forge similar alliances with other shippers at the port and at Los Angeles International Airport.
Phillip Sanfield, spokesman for the Port of Los Angeles, said the program will provide more resources to help potential trade partners.
Shifting Ports
For the first time in more than a year, March saw the Port of Long Beach shed container volume compared with the same month last year.
The port logged a dip of 2.5 percent container volume overall, and a 7.5 percent drop in inbound containers. In contrast, Long Beach for the previous three months reported year-over-year gains of between 10 percent and 12 percent.
The March figure was significant because it shows, at least partially, the effect of losing the Hyundai Merchant Marine shipping line to the Port of Los Angeles, according to Art Wong, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach.
The Hyundai line represented about 10 percent of Long Beach’s total volume.
The L.A. port’s total volume was up 9.1 percent in March, compared with the previous year. Its imports increased 10.2 percent in March. The port also benefited from an expansion by China Shipping, which doubled its number of cranes from four to eight.
Staff reporter Sam Bennett can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 263.
