GSN Dec 2015/Jan 2016 Digital Edition

Los Angeles chosen to welcome largest
container ship ever to call in North America
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — Dec. 14, 2015
— The largest container ship ever
to call at a North American port is
scheduled to arrive at the Port of Los
Angeles on Dec.26th. French shipping
line CMA-CGM launched the
CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin on
Dec. 10. The vessel is scheduled to
make her maiden call at APM Terminals-Pier
400 at the Port of Los
Angeles. The ship has a capacity of
nearly 18,000 Twenty Foot Equivalent
Units (TEUs), which is about
a third larger than the biggest container
ships that currently call at
the San Pedro Bay port complex.
“It’s fitting that the largest container
ship to ever traverse North American
waters would make its first call
right here at the Port of Los Angeles,”
said Mayor Eric Garcetti, who recently
met with Founder and Chairman
Jacques Saadé and other top
CMA CGM executives. “The arrival
of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin
sends a powerful message that our
port stands among the world’s greatest,
and that we are prepared to continue
growing and adapting to the
demands of our global economy.”
“As we were reminded nearly a
year ago when activity at the ports
along the West Coast came to a near
standstill, our ports are a critical economic
engine at the local, regional
and national levels,” said Secretary of
Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Their effective,
efficient operation is necessary
for 21st century global commerce,
and today’s news demonstrates that
the Port of LA is prepared for the
next phase of modern trade. Working
together, the shipping companies
and port workers have enabled the
port to bounce back from last year’s
slowdown and show the world its capabilities.”
“Together with the Board of Harbor
Commissioners, we appreciate
the confidence CMA-CGM has instilled
in the Port of Los Angeles and
the opportunities this vessel call will
provide to APM Terminals, longshore
labor and supply chain partners,”
said Port of Los Angeles Executive
Director Gene Seroka. “Earlier
this year APM Terminals, longshore,
and land-side logistics partners efficiently
processed three 13,000 TEUs
ships concurrently producing more
than 38,000 container moves over
an 8-day period. The arrival of the
CMA-CGM Benjamin Franklin signals
a new chapter in Pacific Rim
trade flow and supply chain optimization.”
With its world class infrastructure,
skilled longshore labor, and superior
conveyance network all set to
efficiently handle the largest-class
ships on a routine basis, the Port of
31
Los Angeles is uniquely capable to
accommodate ULCV-class ships. It
is anticipated that the CMA CGM
Benjamin Franklin will return to San
Pedro Bay in the first quarter of 2016
for a call at the Port of Long Beach.
CMA CGM, founded and led by
Jacques R. Saadé is the world’s third
largest and France’s top container
shipping company. Its 470 vessels
call more than 400 ports in
the world, on all 5 continents.
In 2014, over 12.2 million TEUs
(twenty-foot equivalent units)
were carried.
CMA CGM has grown continuously,
and has been constantly innovating
to offer its clients new sea,
land and logistics solutions. Present
in 160 countries, with a network of
655 agencies, the Group employs
20,000 people worldwide, including
2,400 in its headquarters in Marseilles.
As North America’s leading seaport
by container volume and cargo
value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated
$290 billion in trade during
2014. Port operations and commerce
facilitate more than 148,000
jobs (about one in 12) in the City
of Los Angeles and 531,000 jobs (or
one in 16) in the five-county Southern
California region. The San Pedro
Bay Ports support more than 1 million
California jobs and 3.1 million
nationwide.