Officials of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Guangzhou in China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further their relationship and cooperation.

In the announcement, the port said areas of collaboration include the development of digital supply chain infrastructure, the creation of a Trans-Pacific Green Shipping Corridor between the two ports, and other sustainability initiatives to reduce port-related emissions and greenhouse gases. 

"We are grateful to the Port of Guangzhou for their commitment to work with us on these important maritime initiatives," said Gene Seroka, executive director at Port of LA.

He noted that the agreement signed further reinforces the two port's long-term relationship and "like-minded" pursuit of excellence in all aspects of port operations.

"[This also] ... signifies an important step toward decarbonizing the supply chain," Seroka added.

Xiuqing Sun, director general of the Guangzhou Port Authority cited the "long valued relationship between the two ports and said the new deal is an "pportunity to build upon our bilateral cooperation."

"By continuing to share best practices and information, our ports will be better positioned to improve operational efficiencies and reduce harmful emissions related to those operations," he said.

[Source: Port of LA]

The MoU represents continued cooperation between the ports of Los Angeles and Guangzhou, a relationship that dates back nearly four decades when the two ports signed their first "Friendship Port" agreement in 1984.

The three-year MoU calls for best practice consultations and exchanging of ideas on supply chain efficiency and digital technology, and the sharing of lessons learned from the Port Optimizer™, the revolutionary digital community system developed by the Port of Los Angeles and in use since 2017.

Green shipping corridor

The two ports also agreed to begin work to establish a Green Shipping Corridor, an initiative focused on reducing emissions along their respective trade routes and promoting low- and zero-carbon ships and fuels.

The Port of Los Angeles has already established Green Shipping Corridor partnerships with the Port of Singapore, the Port of Shanghai, and the Japanese ports of Nagoya, Yokohama and Tokyo.

Other environmental initiatives in the agreement include cooperation on testing and deployment of zero-emission vehicles, cargo handling equipment and vessels, as well as exploration of energy use and alternative energy sources.