Los Angeles Business Services Exemplified in Port International Trade - By: Matthew Paolini

The Port of Los Angeles, SoCal's doorway to international imports and exports, is situated about 20 miles from the city center. The burgeoning seaport not only maintains its competitive edge with record-setting cargo operations, but is renowned for its inventive environmental initiatives, well-known security measures and many recreational and educational facilities. Also referred to as the Los Angeles Harbor Department, Port Los Angeles takes up over 7,500 acres land and water along 42 miles of waterfront.

The south-facing San Pedro Bay was initially a shallow flat area, too soft to support a wharf. Arriving ships had two options, stay far out at anchor and have their cargo ferried to shore; or beach themselves. Phineas Banning tremendously improved shipping when he dredged the channel in 1871 to a depth of 10 feet. The port handled more than 55,000 tons of shipping that year.

After Banning's death in 1885 his children continued his interests in promoting the port, which handled 500,000 tons of shipping that year. The Southern Pacific Railroad wanted to build the Los Angeles Port at Santa Monica, and built the Long Wharf at that location in 1893. L.A. Times administrator Harrison Otis and Senator Stephen White pushed for federal support of the structure to be built at San Pedro Bay. The matter was settled when San Pedro was endorsed in 1897 by a federal commission. With government support building began in 1899 and the spot was absorbed into Los Angeles in 1909. The Harbor Commission was established in 1907.

In 1911, the Southern Pacific Railroad completed its first significant wharf at the port. In the 1920s, Port Los Angeles passed San Francisco as the region's busiest seaport. In the Second World War it was mostly utilized for building ships, which employed more than 90,000 workers. The opening of the Thomas Bridge in 1963 significantly facilitated access to Terminal Island and allowed for increased traffic and additional expansion.

Currently Port Los Angeles is the most busy in the U.S. by container volume, the eighth busiest in the world, and the 5th busiest internationally when combined with the neighboring Port of Long Beach.

This year, the top five imported goods were furniture, apparel, auto parts, toys, and computers. The top five exported commodities were soybeans, paper, cotton, animal feed and metal scraps.

About the Author

Matt Paolini is a business writer for CityBook, the family-safe yellow pages online, which carries an extensive directory on Los Angeles display designers and consultants.

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