Pacific Maritime Association

THE YEAR IN REVIEW Regional Developments: Pacific Northwest M any of the Pacific Northwest ports reported flat or slightly reduced volumes in 2012 as the region continued its recovery from the recession. Anticipating increased future volumes and larger vessels, many Pacific Northwest ports and terminal operators focused on infrastructure investments during the year. In March, the Port of Tacoma announced that it was selected by the three Grand Alliance shipping lines ��� NYK Line, OOCL and Hapag-Lloyd ��� as their Northwest port of call. The first Grand Alliance vessels arrived in Tacoma in July and brought a burst of activity to the port, boosting annual container volume by 223,600 TEUs, an increase of 20.6 percent. The Port of Seattle also secured future volume at Terminal 46 by approving a 10-year lease extension with Total Terminals International. Infrastructure Updates The Port of Seattle is now home to six 267-foot ZPMC cranes, which rank among the largest cranes in North America. The cranes can service the world���s largest vessels, which reach up to 400 meters in length and a capacity of 16,000 TEUs. The last three cranes were delivered to SSA Marine���s Terminal 18 in July, joining three others that had arrived the previous year. A ���K��� Line bulk vessel exits the Columbia River. In response to the region���s growing trade in coal exports, terminal operator SSA Marine is working to develop a shipping, stevedoring and warehousing facility in Cherry Point, Washington, known as the Gateway Pacific Terminal. When complete, it is expected to have the capacity to process 54 million tons of dry bulk commodities annually, including grain, potash and coal. With direct access to BNSF Railway, the 1,500-acre site will be the largest of its kind on the West Coast. The environmental review process for the project is well underway, and a draft environmental impact report is expected to be released in the coming year. Port Of Seattle���s Century Agenda In December 2012, the Port of Seattle Commission unanimously approved the Century Agenda, a 25-year plan with several ambitious goals, including: adding 100,000 jobs to the Puget Sound region; growing freight volume to reach more than 3.5 million TEUs; tripling outbound cargo value to top $50 billion; and reducing the port���s environmental footprint by cutting its air emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels. The plan emphasizes an overall expansion in the port���s freight and tourism business to enhance its position and reputation as an international logistics hub. Niche Cargo Total automobile cargo volume was up throughout the Pacific Northwest in 2012. The Port of Portland, which has imported significant numbers of vehicles for years, began exporting Ford vehicles to South Korea in January, including the first Ford hybrid models in the Korean market. In order to better manage this increase in port traffic, the port is planning to expand its vehicle processing facility at Terminal 6, which is managed by Auto Warehousing Company. Two major Russian shipping lines, FESCO and SASCO, selected the Port of Everett ��� currently the second fastest-growing export center on the West Coast ��� as their Northwest hub for American-made mining and oil extracting equipment. In response to the growth in trade, the port increased its capacity for heavy and oversized cargo with a new roll on-roll off vessel dock. Augmenting The Workforce The shift of the Grand Alliance to the Port of Tacoma led to the need for additional labor at the port. PMA staff coordinated with its member companies, the ILWU, the port and terminal operators to conduct an expedited series of day, night and weekend trainings for more than 25 workers in such skills as container crane lifting, semi-tractor and forklift operations in order to meet this demand. A significant number of casual workers were added to the regional workforce over the course of 2012. In the Washington ports, 163 casuals completed processing and training. The ports in the state of Oregon and along the Columbia River added 202 casuals in total. Casual workers, who generally work part-time, are eligible for work on an as-needed basis when the demand for labor is greater than what the existing workforce is able to provide. PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOCIATION 27

• Cover