California Ports Sign Agreement on Data System Development
This week, California’s five containerized ports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Sacramento launching the California Port Data Partnership alongside state and federal partners.
The MOU, signed on April 26, outlines an agreement between the five ports — Hueneme, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego — to jointly advance computerized and cloud-based data interoperability. The common goal is supporting improved freight system resilience, goods movement efficiency, emissions reduction, and economic competitiveness.
“California’s ports are an essential link in the global supply chain. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Newsom and our state Legislature, California is establishing a first-of-its-kind, collaborative data system between all our state’s containerized cargo ports,” said California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. The historic agreement, she added, “will create a greener, more transparent, and more efficient supply chain — unlocking innovation in how cargo moves in California.”
California’s five ports and the state held biweekly roundtables to develop the framework for the MOU. The MOU and partnership will serve as the basis of cooperation for the $27 million in grant funds from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) for port data system development.
The funds were included in the Budget Act of 2022, which contained an historic multibillion-dollar state investment in California’s goods movement and supply chain sectors.
“The MOU is a first-of-its-kind agreement on data system development among containerized ports and outlines eleven areas of cooperation, ranging from developing data definitions to ensuring equitable access to data for users,” said Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz director and senior advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom. “This MOU and the funds that follow will build the basis for greater cooperation and standardization when it comes to data in our supply chain. I want to thank all of our partners across the supply chain as well as our ports for their leadership in this effort.”
A GO-Biz news release highlighted other aspects of the MOU’s importance to the five containerized ports and the partnership’s opportunity to improve the collective supply chain and further innovation in the freight and goods movement sectors.