Longshoremen Approve Hanjin Contract in Jaxport

International Longshoremen’s Association members in Jacksonville approved a labor contract with Hanjin Shipping that clears the way for construction of a long-delayed container terminal at the port.

Hanjin signed a 30-year lease on the port-owned terminal property in December 2008, subject to negotiation of a contract with the ILA. The port later halted work on the terminal’s final design because of uncertainty over whether the carrier and union could reach an agreement.

By The Numbers: North America - Europe Eastbound Container Trade.

Officials said they needed the ILA’s agreement on work rules and staffing in order to determine how the terminal would be designed. Hanjin planned for the 90-acre terminal to be one of the most automated in the nation, with capacity to handle 750,000 TEUs a year.

Hanjin's terminal would be built next to the TraPac terminal, which opened in January 2009 and is operated by a subsidiary of Japanese carrier MOL. Both terminals are geared toward handling cargo that comes from Asia.

-- Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com.