The Port of Long Beach’s 14th annual Pulse of the Ports Peak Season Forecast occurred March 28. Experts convened for the event said the threat of a trade war could halt otherwise strong growth in the exchange of cargo between Asia and the United States.
The event brings together a panel of shipping and trade experts to offer their perspectives on industry trends and how they affect the San Pedro Bay port complex. About 500 people gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center for Pulse of the Ports.
Panelist and Drewry Maritime Research Senior Quantitative Economist, Mario Moreno, predicted Asia-U.S. trade will grow 6.8 percent in 2018, the fastest pace in more than six years. He also estimated the overall U.S. economy will expand 2.8 percent.
According to Moreno, while President Donald Trump and China have proposed higher tariffs, an all-out trade war between China and the United States appears unlikely.
In addition to Moreno, panelists at the 2018 Pulse of the Ports included Steve Gonzales, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Development, Plastic Express; Daniel Gardner, Vice President of Supply Chain, Lakeshore Learning Materials; Lawrence Burns, Senior Vice President of Trades and Sales, Hyundai America Shipping Agency Inc.; Anthony Otto, President, Long Beach Container Terminal; Beth F. Whited, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Union Pacific Railroad; Ken Kellaway, President and CEO, RoadOne Intermodal Logistics; and Larry Gross, President, Gross Transportation Consulting.
U.S.-China trade accounts for more than two-thirds of imports and almost one-third of exports at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
A webcast of Pulse of the Port is available, with the panelists’ presentations, at www.polb.com/pulseports.