The Long Beach Board of Harbour Commissions has approved two incentive programmes, one created to encourage larger, cleaner ships to dock at the port, and the other intended to attract more containers to come via rail through Long Beach.
The Port of Long Beach (POLB) is one of the few in North America with berths and channels able to receive the largest container ships in the world. Larger ships are more cost-effective for ocean carriers to run and have a smaller impact on the environments due to their ability to carry more cargo and newer, less-polluting engines.
J. Christopher Lytle, executive director, POLB, said: “We are committed to protecting our market share and the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on our Port. Shippers have options on how to route their cargo, and we want to make sure we give them the right reasons to move through Long Beach.”
The programmes will launch on 1 August 2012 and will help protect the port’s share of business, keep jobs and encourage more environmentally friendlyroutines. The largest ships will have their daily docking fees capped at US$8,641 a day for ships longer than 345 m and ocean carriers and ships that qualify under the Port’s Green Ship Award Programme, will also get incentives.
