Georgia, Virginia File East Coast Terminal Deal with FMC

Georgia and Virginia port authorities have decided to join forces as they filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to create the “East Coast Gateway Terminal Agreement.”

Filed on February 24, the deal will enable member ports to work together in the areas of operational and supply chain efficiencies, safety, communications and customer service.

“The U.S. East Coast continues to see larger vessels and cargo exchanges since the opening of the expanded Panama Canal last year,” John Reinhart, VPA CEO and Executive Director, and Griff Lynch, GPA Executive Director, said in a joint statement.

“The states of Georgia and Virginia have made the necessary investments to prepare for this new era in global trade. The East Coast Gateway Terminal Agreement is an innovative collaboration that will allow us to find new ways to become more efficient and effective,” they added.

The parties informed that additional areas of cooperation include acquisition and utilization of joint marketing materials and sharing best practices in areas such as terminal operating systems, training, cargo handling, access, turn-times and infrastructure, as well as supporting the promotion of all-water routes from the U.S. East Coast to the international marketplace via the Panama Canal.

The agreement was filed some two months after APM Terminals, DP World, Hutchinson Port Holdings, PSA International, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., and the Port of Rotterdam Authority filed the “Global Ports Group Agreement” with the Federal Maritime Commission in December 2016 to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the container port industry.