the ports of Seattle and Tacoma decide to unify management that manages the respective harbour terminals



The two near American ports of Seattle and Tacoma have tightened an alliance pact that very goes beyond a simple agreement of collaboration previewing the unification of management that manages the respective harbour terminals and the relative functions under the new brand Seaport Alliance. Draft - the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma have explained - of a level of cooperation unprecedented between the two greater ports container of the State of Washington and constitutes a strategic answer to the competitive pressures that are redesigning the field of world-wide the marine transport.

"The ports of Seattle and Tacoma - it has found the president of the commission directive of the Port of Tacoma, Clare Petrich - must tackle to an intense competition by the ports of the America North, since the navigation companies form alliances, they share cargo spaces on more and more large ships that climb in consolidated terminal of little ports. Working together we can be concentrated at best on models of financially sustainable businesses that assure the success of the customers and the ability guarantees us to plow back in the terminals and infrastructures".

"Where once we were rivals - he has added to the Co-president of the commission directive of the Port of Seattle, Stephanie Bowman - now we intend to be partner. Instead competing one against the other, we join our forces in order to create the strongest marine gateway of the America North. The Seaport Alliance is the result of our engagement common in order to guarantee the economic well-being of our region through one prospers marine industry".

Directive of the two ports of call Americans they have specified that the Seaport Alliance will manage the investments and the activities of the terminals of the two ports, will take care of the planning and the marketing, while the respective harbour commission will maintain to the their current structures of governance and the property of the assets.

The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma are defining the constitution of the Seaport Alliance under the Maritime guide of the Federal Commission (FMC), that it will have to approve of the new alliance. The next phase previews the subscription of a Interlocal Agreement by the two harbour commission in the within of which an activity of two diligence will be carried out in order to examine the business objectives, the strategic investments in the respective harbour terminals, the economic and operating performances, the organizational structure, the communications and the relations with the public. Successively, within next March, the two commission will more introduce to the FMC a detailed agreement. The commission of the two ports have in program to hold an assembly in the course of the next spring and to name John Wolfe, current managing director of the Port of Tacoma, which CEO of the Seaport Alliance after the approval of the agreement by the FMC.