SEATTLE -- The Seattle and Tacoma port commissions announced Tuesday that they plan to unify the management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals and related functions under a single Seaport Alliance in order to attract more cargo and jobs for the region.
The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments and operations, planning and marketing, a news release said, while the individual port commissions will retain their existing governance structures and ownership of assets, such as the Port of Seattle's management of Sea-Tac International Airport.
Taken together, marine cargo operations at both ports support more than 48,000 jobs across the region and provide a critical gateway for the export of Washington state products to Asia.
“The ports of Seattle and Tacoma face fierce competition from ports throughout North America, as shipping lines form alliances, share space on ever-larger vessels and call at consolidated terminals at fewer ports,” said Port of Tacoma Commission President Clare Petrich. “Working together, we can better focus on financially sustainable business models that support customer success and ensure our ability to reinvest in terminal assets and infrastructure.”
“Where we were once rivals, we now intend to be partners,” said Stephanie Bowman, co-President of the Port of Seattle Commission. “Instead of competing against one another, we are combining our strengths to create the strongest maritime gateway in North America."
The Seaport Alliance will need approval from the Federal Maritime Commission, the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system.