Port of Los Angeles, JETRO team up on environmental initiatives

The Port of Los Angeles and Japan External Trade Organization Los Angeles Office (JETRO Los Angeles) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in several key strategic areas, including sustainability, environmental initiatives and supply chain optimization.

To improve supply chain efficiency, the port will share practices and lessons learned related to its Port Optimizer digital community system.

Created in 2017, the Port Optimizer was the first port community system and single portal digital platform in the U.S. focused specifically on enhancing supply chain performance through real-time, data-driven insights for cargo planning, forecasting and tracking. 

“Today’s agreement is rooted in our shared goals: To bring our businesses and ports closer together, and to collaborate around sustainable ways to optimize our supply chains,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“This agreement with JETRO Los Angeles will allow our Port to further advance innovation and cooperation around supply chain optimization and sustainable technologies, as well as build stronger relationships with the government of Japan, its ports and … Japanese companies,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

“The MOU calls on the Port of Los Angeles and JETRO Los Angeles to work closely on strategies related to environmental sustainability, including collaboration and best practice sharing on zero-emission vehicle and equipment testing and deployment; use of alternative energy sources; and cooperation on other emerging terminal, ship and truck environmental initiatives,” said JETRO Los Angeles Chief Executive Director Osamu Taki.

“JETRO Los Angeles has also agreed to facilitate introductions to Japanese companies for the Port to potentially enlist their expertise and help on environmental and zero-emission initiatives.”

The JETRO Los Angeles MoU marks the latest cooperative agreement signed by the Port of Los Angeles. In the past several years, the port has entered into cooperative global agreements with the Nagoya Port Authority, Japan; Indonesia Port Cooperation; Copenhagen Malmö Port; Port of Shanghai, China;  and the Port of Singapore.

Recently, the port also joined forces with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Long Beach and C40 Cities to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex.

The corridor will focus on low- and zero-carbon fuels for bunkering, as well as digital tools to support the deployment of low- and zero-carbon ships.