Seaports on the US West Coast aim to regain some of the market share they have lost over the past five years to the East and Gulf coasts by building infrastructure and implementing technology needed to move cargo cheaper and faster.

The British Columbia ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert are increasing their market share of US cargo because Canadian railroads are pricing intermodal more aggressively to the US Midwest than are US western railroads.

Seattle plans to lease the vacant Terminal 5 to SSA Marine/PIL Group, launching the NWSA harbor redevelopment program to consolidate older, smaller terminals into fewer but larger, more modern facilities that will enhance cargo-handling efficiency on today's mega-ships.

As the initial experience indicates, North American port extended gates adoption, despite increasing container volume and truck congestion, is coming in fits and starts.

By improving connectivity in the harbor through more on-dock rail, smoother hand-offs from the vessel to rail, and more timely and accurate data flow, West Coast ports will offer shippers a more attractive package for shipping discretionary cargo through their gateways to the eastern half of the United States, Los Angeles and Long Beach port executives agree.

The key to the top-tier ports’ dominant share of Asian imports is that ocean carriers have chosen the four gateways as the first call inbound on their services from Asia. And that ensures that retailers and other large importers receive what they value most.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance argues the market share loss is due to cheaper intermodal rail rates, but Prince Rupert says that is not the case — that two other factors are driving its value proposition.

West Coast ports have taken the lead in breaking down the barriers to information sharing by establishing information portals that will allow all port users to access the shipment data they need in a secure environment. This development promises to accelerate productivity.

Northwest Seaport Alliance reahes compromise deal with owner-operators.

The awards recognized achievements on opposite ends of the coast.

Will the vote be remembered as a narrow, ultimately inconsequential act, or a turning point premised on a message to the union leadership that something needs to change?

Washington State’s two senators asked in August 2011 for a study of potential cargo diversions after hearing their states’ ports might be losing business to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Pacific Northwest ports believe the true competitive edge will come from faster cargo velocity at the terminals.

SSA Marine the past two weeks has been opening its Terminal 18 in Seattle an hour early each day and is keeping its gates open through lunch and coffee breaks.

Truck turn times at Seattle’s largest container terminal ranged from one hour to as much as one day.

Nearly half of the fastest-growing North American ports were outside the United States.