In an historical first, six major U.S. West Coast ports and two western railroads came together at the World Shipping Summit (WSS) recently in Qingdao, China to announce their collaboration.

They addressed leaders and customers of the maritime industry including ocean carriers, beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) and marine terminal and intermodal operators.

The U.S. West Coast Collaboration (USWCC) is comprised of the major containerports on the U.S. West Coast – Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Oakland, Long Beach, and Los Angeles – along with BNSF Railway Company and Union Pacific Railroad. The USWCC showcased the benefits of the US West Coast as the premier region for trans-Pacific trade.

According to Omar Benjamin, executive director, Port of Oakland who chaired the session that included the USWCC panel, “Today’s economic conditions have compelled all of us to take a closer look at how we conduct our business to discover new approaches that yield improved results. This is happening throughout the entire supply chain and U.S. West Coast ports and Western railroads are no exception. Our mission is to further strengthen the U.S. West Coast ports’ position as the preferred gateway for Asia cargo to and from the U.S. Midwest and U.S. cities further east.”