Both ports face the challenge of modernizing to better serve customers and to reduce their environmental impacts. The ports welcomed the chance to share technical and engineering information, best practices, and professional expertise.
“As we move ahead with our $4 billion modernization program, and as you develop your extraordinary new Port of Busan facilities, we have many beneficial opportunities to share ideas, information and expertise to meet these mutual goals,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Thomas Fields at the event in South Korea. “To that end, it is our great honor to enter into this Sister Port Agreement with the Busan Port Authority.”
The Port of Long Beach has existing sister port agreements with the Port of Qingdao in China, and the ports of Hualien and Taichung in Taiwan. The Port has memorandums of understanding with the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the Panama Canal Authority, Yantian International Container Terminals in Shenzhen, China, and China Merchants Holdings International, the largest public seaport operator in China.
Like the previous agreements, the Busan accord is not legally binding, but is expected to create additional opportunities for cooperation between the two ports. President Fields and Acting Executive Director Al Moro signed the Busan agreement on behalf of the Port of Long Beach.