LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are both rebounding from a down year in 2023.

In January, the Port of Long Beach saw a 17.5% increase in cargo compared to the same time last year.

Port of Long Beach CEO, Mario Cordero, joined “Inside the Issues” host Amrit Singh to explain the boost in shipping.

“Number one: we have a good economy. Number two: The consumer continues to spend… we are in a trajectory that’s very positive to where we were a year ago,” Cordero said.

Global geopolitical issues can play a major role in cargo shipping. The current Houthi conflict in the Red Sea has Cordero worried about the near future.

“It could be problematic. We’ve gone through an unprecedented period of geopolitical dynamics that were unforeseen,” Cordero said.

A stateside issue the Port of Long Beach is tackling is lowering their emissions to reach carbon neutrality.

California received $1.2 billion in federal funding to develop a renewable hydrogen hub. The funding is through a private-public partnership known as ARCHES. Cordero expects the port of Long Beach to receive a good portion of the funds to help them achieve their goals.

The port has also deemed 2024 as ‘the year of the rail,’ beginning construction on the Pier B rail project, which will expand the port’s capacity and ability to move cargo faster.

“What that means for the environment, what that means for the corridors, is we’re going to put more of these containers on rail, get them out of the metropolitan region and begin defending less on trucking,” Cordero said.

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