International Port A Symbol of Los Angeles Business Services

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Port Los Angeles, SoCal's doorway to international imports and exports, is located about 20 miles from downtown. The burgeoning seaport not only maintains its competitive edge with innovative cargo operations, but is renowned for its inventive environmental initiatives, well-known security measures and diverse recreational and educational facilities. Also known as the Los Angeles Harbor Department, Port Los Angeles takes up over 7,500 acres land and water along 42 miles of waterfront properly.

The port site was originally a shallow flat area, too soft to support a wharf. Visiting ships had two choices, stay far out at anchor and have their cargo ferried to shore; or beach themselves. Phineas Banning tremendously improved docking convenience when he dredged the channel in 1871 to a depth of 10 feet. The port handled greater than 55,000 tons of shipping in that year.

After Banning's passing in 1885 his children pursued their interests in marketing the port, which handled 500,000 tons of shipping that year. The Southern Pacific Railroad desired to create Port Los Angeles at Santa Monica, and constructed the Long Wharf at that location in 1893. Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Otis and Senator Stephen White pushed for federal support of the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro Bay. The issue was settled when San Pedro was certified in 1897 by a federal commission. With federal support construction started in 1899 and the area was annexed to Los Angeles in 1909. The Harbor Commission was established in 1907.

In 1911, the Railroad Authority finished its first significant wharf at the port. During the 1920s, Port Los Angeles surpassed San Francisco as the region's busiest seaport. During the Second World War the port was mostly utilized for shipbuilding, employing more than 90,000 workers. The establishment of the Thomas Bridge in 1963 significantly facilitated access to Terminal Island and allowed for more traffic and additional expansion.

Currently Port Los Angeles is the busiest in the United States when measured by container volume, the eighth busiest in the world, fifth when combined with the nearby Long Beach Port.

In 2007, the top 5 imported materials were furniture, apparel, auto parts, toys, and computers. The top 5 exported goods were soybeans, paper, cotton, animal feed and metal scraps.

Matt Paolini is a business writer for CityBook, the family-safe yellow pages online, which carries an extensive directory on Los Angeles display designers and consultants.

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