AAPA is committed to supporting its members, staff, and industry stakeholders during this uncertain time. Normal business functions are continuing; however, AAPA is working remotely in observance of the CDC’s guidelines to help slow community spread of COVID-19. While monitoring the advice of relevant government agencies, AAPA staff is prepared to quickly assist its members.

Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is designating space to loaded container storage that will give customers an additional 400,000 TEUs of annual container handling capacity at the Port of Savannah. “With slowing demand related to the coronavirus, port users need space to stage their cargo until that demand returns,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. The Port of New York and New Jersey is open and operating under normal conditions amid the unfolding health crisis. As a precautionary measure, the Port Authority has canceled all upcoming public events and will hold all but essential meetings remotely until further notice. The Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport will remain operational despite an Alameda County shelter-in-place order. Both facilities are essential services exempt from the order, the port said. The Port of Palm Beach reported U.S. Customs and Border Protection has suspended operations at all Trusted Traveler enrollment centers until May 1, including the Global Entry center located at Port of Palm Beach, to protect the public and its employees. The Port of Redwood City is closing public facilities such as restrooms along the waterfront. The administrative office will continue business operations; however, the building will be closed to the general public. Cargo operations are currently still occurring until further notice. The Port of Stockton has implemented a variety of measures to protect and limit contact and exposure of COVID-19 to its employees as well as to reduce the risk of a disruption to the services provided to its customers and tenants. The Port of  Virginia is postponing the State of the Port addresses scheduled for April 7, 8 and 9, which will be rescheduled at a later date, and shared steps it has taken to address concerns arising from COVID-19.

Four cruise ships, including JAXPORT’s regular home-ported ship Carnival Ecstasy already in port, will dock at JAXPORT and remain at the port during the cruise industry’s voluntary suspension of U.S. cruise operations due to COVID-19. In support of its cruise partners, PortMiami will be waiving all lay berth fees for home-ported vessels that request to berth alongside the port during the next 30 days. This time period could be amended, as needed. In an emergency meeting, Port of Palm Beach Board of Commissioners voted to provide assistance to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, a family-owned business and port tenant, for ongoing costs of maintaining the ship in port while it attempts to weather this pandemic storm. The Port of Seattle announced that it has canceled the April 1 and April 5 planned sailings of the Seattle 2020 cruise season due to the region’s public health emergency. Port Tampa Bay supports the decisions of Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International to suspend sailings for 30 days. The decision was made in the interest of public safety.

Barbados Port Inc. is reporting cruise passenger arrivals totaling 853,200 from 422 cruise ship calls during the period January to December 2019, the highest on record to date. In 2019, Mexican ports received 2,951 cruise ship arrivals, compared to 2,671 recorded in 2018, representing a growth of 10.5%, according to figures from the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT). The Alabama State Port Authority announced the largest bulk carrier to call the Port of Mobile loaded over 133,000 short tons (121,000 metric tons) of export metallurgical grade coal at its McDuffie Coal Terminal.

Golar Power has signed a Protocol of Intentions with the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the Port of Suape. The private investment will be R$1,8 billion ($356.5 million USD) with the prospect of generating 300 new jobs in the vicinity of the port industrial complex.

Port of Long Beach Commissioner Lou Anne Bynum has been named as interim superintendent-president of the Long Beach Community College District and has resigned from the Board of Harbor Commissioners effective March 16. The Port of Montréal is proud to announce that its President and CEO Sylvie Vachon received the Grand Bâtisseur award as part of the 2020 Tourisme Montréal Distinction Awards.

The Port of Savannah received three Neo-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, bringing its total to 36, more than any other single terminal in North America. The new cranes were delivered by heavy transport vessel BigLift Barentsz.

Program Manager, Engineering-Construction, San Diego, CA; Port of San Diego

Director of Sales, Vancouver, WA; Port of Vancouver USA

Engineering Project Manager, Philadelphia, PA; PhilaPort