In an effort to attract more cargo container ships, port operators in Seattle and nearby Tacoma announced that they were forming a strategic alliance that would unify their cargo terminal management.
“We must make it clear that this is not a merger,” said Tara Mattina, a spokeswoman for the Port of Tacoma.
Instead, the new “Seaport Alliance” aligns cargo terminal investments, operations, planning and marketing in order to entice more cargo container ships that currently are offloading at other West Coast terminals, such as ports in Oakland, Los Angeles or Long Beach. In recent years, the two Puget Sound ports have lost significant market share in to Southern California and British Columbia, so something had to be done to strengthen their position and make them more competitive.
The new partnership means the the two ports can compete against other terminals rather than against each other, according to Stephanie Bowman, co-president of the Port of Seattle.
“Where we were once rivals, we now intend to be partners,” Bowman said. “Instead of competing against one another, we are combining our strengths to create the strongest maritime gateway in North America. The Seaport Alliance is the result of our shared commitment to maintaining the economic health of our region through a thriving maritime industry.”