Ocean cargo: Port of Tacoma reaches out to a sister city…and an old friend

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 4/15/2008

TACOMA, Wash.—The Port of Tacoma is ramping up its efforts to stay close to a “sister city” in China while making nice with a neighboring city in the state of Washington.

This Friday, port officials will officially launch the Fuzhou Pilot Project, featuring Yuan Rongxiang, chief executive of Fuzhou Municipality and chairman of the Fuzhou People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and other local government officials. Jointly sponsored by the city and Port of Tacoma with the support of the World Trade Center-Tacoma, the event celebrates an 18-month project to expand trade (primarily exports) to China and to attract foreign direct investment to the Tacoma-Pierce County region.

“It’s much more than just a token gesture,” said Port of Tacoma spokesman, Mike Wasem. “It represents a real move forward for both sister cities.”

Fuzhou, a Chinese port city with a population of more than 6 million, is the capital city of Fujian Province. Tacoma, the largest city in South Puget Sound in Washington state, features one of North American’s largest container ports. Fuzhou and Tacoma have been Sister Cities since October 1994.

Wasem also noted that when port commissioners from Tacoma met with those of Seattle earlier this month, a significant measure of cooperation was achieved by two erstwhile rivals.

“Both ports see the sense in working together toward a common goal,” he said. “There are a lot of competitive pressures that we can address better together than by going it alone.”

Indeed, analysts note that with the emergence of Canada’s Port of Prince Rupert, Washington state gateways may be losing some of their appeal to Far East shippers. Port of Tacoma commissioners intend to fight that.

“China is now Tacoma's largest trading partner by both volume and by dollar value, and Fuzhou is a key gateway to this market,” said commissioner Connie Bacon “As we continue to strengthen our relationship, both the people of Fuzhou and Tacoma will benefit for generations to come.”