Georgia, Virginia ports file Gateway co-op agreement

Eyeing potential growing container traffic along the U.S. East Coast, Georgia and Virginia ports on Feb. 24 filed for permission to create an “East Coast Gateway Terminal Agreement.”

The filing with the Federal Maritime Commission if approved would create operational efficiencies in operations, 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,” Virginia Ports Authority Chief Executive and Executive Director John Reinhart and Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said in a joint statement. “Increasingly, our customers are seeking gateway ports on the East Coast that can leverage sufficient landside infrastructure to ensure the free flow of cargo. 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.”

A similar multinational “Global Ports Group Agreement” was filed with the FMC in 2016 by terminal operators APM Terminals, DP World, Hutchinson Port Holdings, PSA International, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., and The Netherlands’ Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The U.S. ports said that their agreements would also range to 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.