Port Of Oakland News

The Port of Oakland is excited to announce the kick-off of its 2025 paid Summer College Internship Program.Qualified applicants can competitively apply for summer internships in a variety of professional fields at the Port including Aviation, Communications, Engineering, Environmental Programs & Planning, Governmental Affairs, Human Resources, Technology & Innovation, Legal, Maritime Logistics, and Utilities.The Port has proudly supported internship opportunities for college students for nearly 20 years.

The Port of Oakland’s container business continues to grow. Total cargo volume shot up 10% year-to-date, January through November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.“We are optimistic that strong container volume will continue through the end of the year,” said Port of Oakland Manager of Business Development and International Marketing Carolyn Almquist. “We expect to be on track to return to our pre-pandemic baseline cargo numbers. Our total inbound and outbound volume is up…

Port as primary gateway for Northern California region a key credit strength. Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s) has maintained the Port of Oakland's senior lien rating at A1 stable. The A1 stable senior bond rating reflects the Port’s strong liquidity, healthy debt service coverage ratio, manageable capital spending and significant long-term debt capacity.“The rating reflects the Port’s commitment to fiscal responsibility,” said Port of Oakland Chief Financial Officer Julie Lam.

The Port of Oakland’s container volume registers continued growth in the fourth quarter. Total container volume rose 10% over recorded volumes during the same period in 2023.Loaded imports continue to grow for the 12th straight month. Import volume rose 11.2% in October 2024, compared to October 2023. Port operators processed 81,498 TEUs (twenty-foot containers), versus 73,281 TEUs in 2023.“Overall, the Port’s loaded import cargo is trending towards its pre-pandemic level,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes.

Federal funds to upgrade aging docks to accommodate ultra-large vessels and expand economic benefits to region.The Port of Oakland was awarded approximately $50 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) to modernize wharves and terminal infrastructure at the Outer Harbor. The Port’s Outer Harbor will be upgraded to accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels, which are now a regular part of the shipping fleet calling on West Coast ports.

Port ranks number one for refrigerated exports, supports $8.5 billion in ag exports.The Port of Oakland continues to be one of the most important gateways for U.S. agricultural products. The Port exported 235,899 TEUs (twenty-foot containers) of agricultural commodities as of October 2024, totaling nearly $8.5 billion. Oakland ranks number one by TEU volume in international refrigerated (reefer) export trade among United States ports.“The Port of Oakland is a major international gateway for California’s and the nation’s farmers,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) Board of Commissioners has announced the appointment of Beth Ann Branch as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective December 1, 2024. Branch, a highly regarded expert in global maritime strategy with over 20 years of experience in transportation and logistics, will also serve as CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB). She succeeds Ronald Wendel Jr., who has been serving as Acting President and CEO during a crucial transitional phase…

2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA bill—Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nation’s waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.

The largest U.S. business group on Friday urged President Joe Biden him to intervene immediately and appoint an independent mediator to address a West Coast ports labor dispute.More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark in a letter to Biden cited "continued and potentially expanded service disruptions at these ports heading into peak shipping season."Tensions…

Trade group the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) elected a new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sean Strawbridge of the Port of Corpus Christi, last week during its 111th Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. Outgoing Chairman Mario Cordero of the Port of Long Beach made the formal announcement during his address to members and attendees.AAPA President and CEO Chris Connor remarked on the transition, "Our work at AAPA is bolstered by the leadership and input of our chairperson and board of directors.

Marine terminals at California's Port of Oakland reopened for regular weekday hours on Monday after independent truckers formally ended a week-long protest of the state's new "gig worker" law that stranded cargo on ships, docks and warehouses, worsening U.S. supply chain snarls."All of our marine terminals are open this morning and operations are normal," a port spokesman said.The law, formally known as AB5, would make it harder for businesses that rely on freelance workers, also known as gig workers…

Independent truckers protesting California's new "gig worker" law blockaded California's third-busiest seaport for the third straight day on Friday, delaying shipments at the state's top agricultural export hub and adding to U.S. supply chain headaches.Truck gates at all four Port of Oakland marine terminals remain closed to truck traffic on Friday. Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), which handles about 70% of port cargo, restarted some work on ships, a port spokesperson said.Oakland port truckers began actions against the law formally known as AB5 on Monday.

Protesting truckers stopped traffic on Wednesday at a Northern California port, one of the busiest in the United States, as they demonstrated against a new state labor law that makes it harder for independent truckers to operate.Drivers picketed gates and blocked other truckers from hauling cargo in and out of the port. The protests in Oakland began on Monday and have grown larger and more disruptive with each passing day.Late on Wednesday, Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Sunday it will help fund a new container yard for agricultural exports at California's Port of Oakland, as the government, ports and food companies scramble to ease costly shipping delays.The multimillion-dollar project is set to open in March, and officials said it could be replicated elsewhere.Strong U.S. demand for goods from Asia during the pandemic has boosted imports, clogging West Coast ports. Some ocean vessels have left the United States carrying empty containers after making deliveries…

One of America's top seaports is set to launch an interagency effort to provide relief to agricultural exporters who are facing shortages of export capacity and skyrocketing logistics costsThe Port of Oakland announced Monday it is launching a program that involves the use of additional yard space and equipment, restored export ship calls and assistance to agricultural export users.The port will open and operate a 25-acre off-terminal, paved container yard equipped to move containers off chassis and store them for rapid pick-up.

After two straight months of declining imports, the Port of Oakland reports its import volumes are on the rise, with containerized imports up 6.5% last month compared to November 2020 totals. For the first 11 months of 2021, Oakland imports are up nearly 8%, the port said.The port attributed the recovery to additional vessel traffic, noting that 75 ships called in Oakland during November, the most in six months. “We’re gratified that shipping lines and cargo owners recognize the value of coming to the Port of Oakland,” said Maritime Director Bryan Brandes.

The Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, the State of California, Resolve Marine and Witt O'Briens said Sunday it was coordinating the safe transit of a containership 80 miles southwest of Big Sur to the Port of Oakland, Calif. after the ship had reported an engine fire on Friday."The NYK Delphinus crew reported a continuous decrease in the temperature of the engine room’s surrounding bulkheads Sunday morning. No signs of smoke have been observed and all decks above the engine room are now accessible and have been fully ventilated…

The Port of Oakland reported all-time high container volume for import and export cargo in the month of March amid an ongoing trade boom exploding through U.S. ports.The port said Oakland received the equivalent of 97,538 20-foot import containers in March. It said it shipped out the equivalent of 94,169 20-foot export boxes. Both totals were single-month records at the 94-year-old port. March imports were up 45% from the same month a year ago, the port said. March 2020 was when the port felt the initial impacts of the pandemic. Exports gained 12% year-over-year.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has paid $253,300 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board for violating the Ocean-Going Vessel At-Berth Regulation, which requires cargo ships to reduce emissions while docked at the state’s busiest ports, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Hueneme, San Francisco and San Diego.The violations were discovered during routine audits of the company’s 2017 and 2018 vessel fleet visits to the Port of Oakland. CARB’s investigation revealed that from 2017 to 2018, Mitsui O.S.K.

Longtime shipping industry executive Bryan Brandes has been named Maritime Director at the Port of Oakland. The port said today he was selected following a nationwide search. Brandes, a 25-year maritime veteran, replaces John Driscoll who left to manage the Alabama State Port Authority.Brandes will lead a staff of 20 responsible for one of the nation’s 10 largest container seaports. Oakland’s Maritime Director oversees everything from facilities management to real estate negotiations.“Bryan is coming in at a crucial time for us and we’re eager to put his skill and industry experience to work…

Three cruise ships will idle at the Port of Oakland without passengers while cruise operations are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the port said Friday. The .Two Norwegian Cruise Line vessels, Regatta and Norwegian Jewel, have tied up at Oakland’s Outer Harbor Terminal, which is currently not in use for the port’s container shipping business. Another, Seven Seas Mariner, is docked at Howard Terminal on the Oakland Estuary, no longer considered large enough for container operations.

The Port of Oakland reported "better than expected" cargo volumes in April, but port officials say they are expecting volumes to decline in the months ahead as ships cancel visits due to reduced demand brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.The port reported April loaded container volume were up .4% compared to the same month last year. Export loads rose 3.6%, the port said, while imports dipped 0.9%.The port said its total cargo volume – imports, exports and empty container shipments – declined 6.5% last month.

A longshore laborer at the Port of Oakland reportedly fell to his death from the deck of a containership at berth in the early hours on Tuesday.The International Longshore and Warehouse Union confirmed that the accident victim was one of its members. The port said the fatal accident was under investigation by local authorities.“This is a tragedy that strikes everyone very deeply,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “The waterfront is a tightly knit community and if a member of that community succumbs…