Rail could boost exports in new Port of LA pact

The Port of Los Angeles has signed a Memorandum of Agreement to generate more export traffic for the port from California’s Central Valley through an agreement with the city of Shafter and the developer of a logistics hub there.

Central to the agreement is the Wonderful Logistics Center, a 3,400-acre development in Shafter, Calif. — 18 miles west-northwest of Bakersfield on the BNSF main line — owned by the Wonderful Co. The logistics hub and container depot already serves companies including Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Ross (NASDAQ: ROST), Target (NYSE: TGT), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT). An international rail terminal is scheduled to open in 2026.

“Both The Wonderful Co. and the City of Shafter have a well-planned vision for creating jobs and promoting economic growth in the Central Valley, and the Port of Los Angeles stands ready to help,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a release. “This agreement represents our commitment to support faster and more efficient service to and from the Central Valley right to our terminals and to markets across the world.”

The agreement calls for a pledge to develop two-way domestic and international traffic through the logistics center and the port; exporter outreach in the Central Valley; efforts to develop mutually beneficial business opportunities; and share best practices on workforce training and development. The agreement supports the port’s effort to position the surplus of empty containers at its terminals and position them for agricultural exporters.