Ports of Los Angeles, Nagoya expand cooperation to include green shipping corridor

Officials from the ports of Los Angeles and Nagoya, Japan, have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) to broaden cooperation on key sustainability and operational-efficiency initiatives, including port community systems and digital supply-chain information sharing, zero-emission vehicle and equipment testing, and a new green shipping corridor between the two ports.

The new three-year agreement builds upon the 2020 MOU.

“Today marks another major milestone in the longstanding partnership between the ports of Los Angeles and Nagoya,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. “This agreement is a testament to the success that can be achieved when ports commit to work together, share ideas and advance mutual priorities.”

Yuji Kamata, executive vice president of the Nagoya Port Authority, added, “This agreement paves the way to advance environmental sustainability and operational efficiencies at both of our ports. We look forward to further cooperation with the Port of Los Angeles so that both ports can further prosper as we move toward a new era of achieving carbon neutrality.”

The new three-year MOU involves sharing best practices and exchanging information on issues of operational efficiencies, such as the development, deployment and promotion of port community systems for end-to-end supply-chain information sharing.

These include the Port Optimizer™ that has been in use at the Port of Los Angeles since 2017, and has helped revolutionize the port’s ability to plan, forecast and track cargo on a real-time basis.

Under the new agreement, both ports also agreed to continue collaborating on the development and testing of zero-emission vehicles and equipment; environmental initiatives focused on terminal operations, ships in port and drayage trucks; and on energy use and alternative energy sources.

Central to sustainability efforts in the agreement will be the establishment of a new green shipping corridor in the coming years, guided by a port-decarbonization plan.

This endeavor will focus on the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions from cargo movement between Nagoya and Los Angeles and encourages the use and promotion of low- and zero-carbon ships and fuels.

Cooperation between Los Angeles and Nagoya dates back to 1959, when the two cities established a sister-city affiliation as part of President Eisenhower’s Citizens’ International Exchange Program.

Over the decades, the two ports’ relationship has been celebrated by numerous visits, exchange programs, meetings and, most recently, agreements on operational and environmental cooperation.