PORT OF LOS ANGELES WORKS TO REDUCE COSTS ON CARGO OWNERS
Tentative agreement will simplify process for cargo owners
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — SEPT. 11, 2009 — In an effort to eliminate fees, the Port of Los Angeles, along with The Port of Long Beach, is working with its terminal operators to implement a plan to eliminate the claiming process for cargo carried by clean trucks.
The change, which would take effect later this year, would require cargo claiming and pre-payment only from cargo owners who are still using trucks that do not meet 2007 emission standards.
In August 2009, more than 66 percent of cargo moves at Port of Los Angeles terminals were made by trucks that meet 2007 emission standards. Cargo owners that use 2007 emissions-compliant trucks will no longer have to claim and pre-pay the Clean Truck Fee, which will simplify the administrative process and save both time and money.
“This tentative agreement is the result of both the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach listening to and working with the large percentage of cargo owners who are adhering to the Clean Truck Program,” said Dr. Geraldine Knatz, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “It eliminates a bureaucratic step without slowing down the significant progress we’ve made cleaning the air with this program.”
The Port of Los Angeles, along with the Port of Long Beach, recently met with the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators Association and came to a tentative agreement to eliminate the claiming and pre-payment requirement for importers and exporters adhering to the Clean Truck Program. Terminal operators need to reprogram computer systems before the changes can take effect.
The Clean Truck Program, which took effect Oct. 1, 2008, is designed to replace aging, dirty trucks with clean trucks and reduce air pollution by 80 percent by 2012. At the Port of Los Angeles, more than 66 percent of all containers moved through the port are currently carried by clean trucks.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars.
The Port of Los Angeles – A cleaner port. A brighter future.