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Vote opens on controversial Port of LA workforce disclosure rules

Californians head for the polls today to decide on Charter Amendment PRT - a package of changes affecting Los Angeles's airports, harbour, and Department of Water and Power, including new workforce disclosure requirements for leases at the port. The measure would require applicants for certain new Harbor Department leases, extensions, and amendments, to provide information on their employment and economic impacts, to be assessed by the Board of Harbor Commissioners . The vote comes amid opposition from a coalition of more than 50 business and supply chain organisations, including the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA), claiming the proposed changes could "introduce uncertainty into underwriting and leasing decisions", and risk "discouraging investment and diverting cargo to competing ports". In a letter to Los Angeles City Council, the coalition urged councillors to retain the existing charter provisions governing port operations, and that embedding operational requirements in the City Charter could weaken the Harbor Commission's authority, and its ability to respond to changing market conditions and technologies. Signatories also include the Harbor Trucking Association, Foreign Trade Association, LA Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association, and LA Area Chamber of Commerce. While the letter does not specifically refer to terminal automation, its concerns over investment uncertainty and the port's ability to adapt to evolving technologies raise questions about the potential implications for future automation projects. The amendment does not explicitly prohibit automation, or give the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) a veto on investment decisions. However, employers have previously raised concerns that workforce disclosure requirements could create another obstacle to automation proposals. Port of Los Angeles declined to comment, saying it had played no role in the amendment. Yusen Terminals also declined, and no response was received from APM Terminals, TraPac or the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators' Association. No formal ballot argument against PRT was submitted, although the Chamber of Commerce has publicly opposed the measure, citing concerns about additional requirements on businesses and the potential impact on port operations. The ballot measure also includes provisions on funding for waterfront public access projects, longer lease terms for certain city departments and changes to the composition of the Airport Commission.

Adani Ports bidding for Europe's tank terminals - the test is whether it pays for returns or size

Adani Ports raised its guidance on growth that increasingly comes from outside India; walked away from Associated British Ports; has reportedly made a binding offer of about $3.3bn for European terminal operator EVOS; and has set up a company in Oman as the Port of Salalah prepares to change operator - with the US case against its founder closed, a credit rating equal to India's sovereign and shares that have beaten a falling Indian market by 32 points this ...

Cosco: Shipping vs Ports - same parent, not quite siblings

Delve straight into the numbers. In a nutshell: Chinese state-owned container line Cosco Shipping Holdings; (CSH) profit rose a whopping 81% in the third quarter as port congestion and long reroutes tied up ships and lifted freight rates, while Cosco Shipping Ports, the terminal operator it controls, reported flat profit with its busiest Chinese terminals close to capacity. Why so? For one, Citi expects a seasonal easing into early 2027, but its own work on port bottlenecks, a Strait of Hormuz that remains largely ...