Port of Hueneme celebrates World Trade Week with global partners, focus on supply chain and AI

Ministry of Commerce, consuls, industry and companies participate in a trade-oriented event

PORT HUENEME, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Founded in 1935 by President Roosevelt, World Trade Week was created to recognize the importance and benefits of global trade to the local and national economy. This year, the Port of Hueneme welcomed trading partners from around the world with a focus on ‘Supply Chain and AI’, including officials from the Ministry of Commerce and local elected officials, as well as business leaders and consuls who attended to share information aimed at on the current situation. state of the supply chain, the economy and artificial intelligence.

The Port’s 11th annual World Trade Week event was held on May 2, 2024 at the FATHOMWERX Lab in the Port of Hueneme and welcomed nearly 100 people from around the world with an interest and commitment to international trade.

Drew Rodriguez, Senior Public & Community Relations Representative at the Port of Hueneme, was this year’s presenter. Oxnard Harbor District President Celina Zacarias welcomed attendees by stating that international trade is important to the Port of Hueneme and to the region.

“It is my great honor to be here to celebrate World Trade Week and its connection to all of us here in Ventura County,” said President Zacarias. “We are gathered here at the Port of Hueneme – the birthplace of the FATHOMWERX technology laboratory – to continue exploring the global trade and supply chain landscape and its interconnection with technology and its potential for the Ventura County region.”

Kristin Decas, CEO and Port Director, provided an overview of the port’s operations, the current state of the supply chain, an update on the port’s international trading partners and the economic impact the port has on the region.

“Happy World Trade Day!” Decas stated before starting her presentation about the port. “We just got back from a trade mission and had a great experience in both South Korea and Japan,” she said. “We signed two MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and these MOUs were not only about economic development, customer relations, business building, but more importantly, about building green corridors and sustainability and moving towards a footprint of the decarbonization.”

Trade updates from the port’s global partners from Mexico, Lithuania, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom shared key information on how their countries’ traditional exports and emerging markets are driving growth and investment opportunities.

Ambassador Ricardo Santana, Consulado de Mexico and Oxnard, said: “Our ongoing trade partnership continues to grow. For us, the port is very important because of its location: strategically located on the central coast of California for its infrastructure with the modern docks, storage facilities and access to rail. In 2022, bilateral trade between Mexico and California amounted to $73.7 billion.

Mantas Zamzickas, Trade Attaché of Lithuania in the US and Consulate General of Lithuania in Los Angeles, said: “The Port of Klaipeda is the largest in Lithuania and last year it entered into a partnership with the Port of Hueneme. Hopefully this will continue in the coming years the (trade) numbers will increase.”

Sean Kagan, Senior Trade Policy Advisor, British Consulate General Los Angeles, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, said: “The US is Britain’s largest export market for goods and services, so it is a very important trading relationship for the UK. Kingdom. Bilateral investments between the US and UK are worth over $1.5 trillion and support more than 2.7 million jobs. It’s great to be in a port where you can see the goods coming in.

Betty Young, Business Development Officer of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said: “We are here to connect international businesses to meet many of the growing opportunities in this market and in growing sectors. Hong Kong can create new opportunities facilitating in the areas of innovation and technology, medical and healthcare, sustainability and creative.”

A special pre-recorded welcome message from Grant T. Harris, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analytics, was shared with attendees: “Enhancing supply chain resiliency is central to our work at the Department of Commerce,” he said . “Together with industry partners like the Port of Hueneme, we are working to address and anticipate the supply chain challenges facing American companies. By building stronger and more resilient supply chains, we will strengthen America’s economic competitiveness, protect our national security and support good-paying jobs in communities across the country.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Caroline Kaufman, Industries Team Lead at the Office of Supply Chain Services and the International Trade Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“The Department recognizes the critical role that maritime services and ports like the Port of Hueneme play in ensuring strong supply chains and the smooth movement of goods throughout the United States and around the world,” Kaufman said. “The Department of Commerce has one overarching goal: that goal is to improve America’s economic competitiveness. Ports are a critical part of the resilience equation.”

After a lunch break, Richard Swanson, senior advisor to the Office of the Regional Director – Pacific South Network, US & Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade Administration of the US Department of Commerce, and Maryanne Burke, director of the US Commercial Service for the office from the US Export Assistance Center at the Port of Hueneme provided a regional update, discussed the District Export Council of Southern California and shared information on foreign direct investment.

A roundtable discussion led by Simona Racek, trade specialist at EDC SBDC and co-CEO of TradeZiris focused on the role of AI in international trade.

“It is a real pleasure to be here and to be joined by three top export companies in our Southern California community,” said Racek. “What our speakers have in common is that they are already transforming business operations by applying AI to international trade.”

The panel included Todd Smith, founder and CEO of KYG Trade; Vincent Iacopella, EVP Growth & Strategy of Alba Wheels Up International; and Ray Bowman, director of the Economic Development Collaborative Small Business Development Center.

To conclude the event, the Oxnard Harbor District Board of Commissioners presented special awards aimed at companies that export goods through the Port of Hueneme.

The Auto Export Achievement was presented to Toyota Motor North America by Oxnard Harbor District President Celina Zacarias, the Container Export Achievement was presented to Allied Potato by Oxnard Harbor Commissioner Maryanne Rooney, and the EDC World Trade Advocacy Award was presented to Moorpark College by the Ventura County Economic Development Center.

A U.S. Commercial Service Certificate of Appreciation was presented at the Port of Hueneme by Maryanne Burke, director of the U.S. Commercial Service U.S. Export Assistance Center office at the Port of Hueneme and Richard Swanson, senior advisor for the U.S. Commercial Service Office of the Regional director, Pacific South Network, US commercial service

READ MORE ABOUT THE OXNARD WORLD TRADE CENTER HERE: https://www.portofhueneme.org/business/world-trade-center/

ABOUT THE PORT OF HUENEME: The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trading ports for niche cargo on the West Coast. Five locally elected port commissioners govern the port. The port consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. ports for automotive and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by generating $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating 24,997 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $236 million in direct and related state and local taxes, which fund essential community services. In 2017, the Port of Hueneme became the first port in California to become Green Marine certified and was named the greenest port in the U.S. at the Green Shipping Summit. www.portofh.org.

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SOURCE: Port of Hueneme

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