Officials from the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Guangzhou signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24 October to strengthen their ties.
The collaboration between the two ports includes the construction of a Trans-Pacific Green Shipping Corridor connecting the two ports, as well as other sustainability measures to minimise port-related emissions and greenhouse gases.
Furthermore, the MoU reflects the continuation of cooperation of the two ports, a connection that extends back nearly four decades, to their initial “Friendship Port” agreement in 1984.
The three-year MoU asks for best practice discussions and the exchange of ideas on supply chain efficiency and digital technology, as well as the sharing of lessons gained from the Port Optimizer™, the groundbreaking digital community system established by the Port of Los Angeles and been in use since 2017.
From LA to Shanghai, ports, cities and box lines partner to reduce emissions
The US and Chinese ports also agreed to start working on establishing a Green Shipping Corridor, a project aimed at decreasing emissions along their respective trade routes and boosting low- and zero-carbon ships and fuels.
The Port of Los Angeles has already formed Green Shipping Corridor collaborations with the ports of Singapore, Shanghai, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
Cooperation on testing and deployment of zero-emission vehicles, freight handling equipment and vessels, as well as investigation of energy consumption and alternative energy sources, are among the other environmental projects included in the agreement.