POLA and Japan External Trade Organization Los Angeles Office Sign New Cooperative Agreement

SAN PEDRO — Officials from the Port of Los Angeles and Japan External Trade Organization Los Angeles Office or JETRO Los Angeles have signed a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU to further promote cooperation in several key strategic areas, including sustainability, environmental initiatives and supply chain optimization.

Port Executive Director Gene Seroka and JETRO Los Angeles Chief Executive Director Osamu Taki signed the agreement at a ceremony held Nov. 14 at the Japan Consulate General Residence in Los Angeles. Japan Consulate officials, representatives from Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s office and several Japanese company executives were also on hand to celebrate the agreement.

“POLA and JETRO Los Angeles have cooperated in the past, both formally and informally, on issues ranging from global market competitiveness, operational efficiencies and environmental sustainability.” said JETRO Los Angeles Chief Executive Director Osamu Taki. “Through supporting a diverse group of Japanese companies with their emerging new technologies, and sharing best practices and information, we continue our collaborative approach to achieve mutually beneficial goals. The MOU calls on the Port of Los Angeles and JETRO Los Angeles to work closely on strategies related to environmental sustainability, including collaboration and best practice sharing on zero-emission vehicle and equipment testing and deployment; use of alternative energy sources; and cooperation on other emerging terminal, ship and truck environmental initiatives. JETRO Los Angeles has also agreed to facilitate introductions to Japanese companies for the port to potentially enlist their expertise and help on environmental and zero-emission initiatives.

To improve supply chain efficiency, under the MOU the port will also be sharing best practices and lessons learned related to its Port Optimizer™ digital community system. Created in 2017, the Port Optimizer™ was the first port community system and single portal digital platform in the U.S. focused specifically on enhancing supply chain performance through real-time, data-driven insights for cargo planning, forecasting and tracking. 

The JETRO Los Angeles MOU marks the latest cooperative agreement signed by the Port of Los Angeles. In the past several years, the port has entered into cooperative global agreements with the Nagoya Port Authority, Japan; Indonesia Port Cooperation; Copenhagen Malmö Port; Port of Shanghai, China; and the Port of Singapore.