For Immediate Release
March 18, 2004

Port of Oakland Moved $1.2 billion in Agricultural Goods in 2003
Port of Oakland is primary seaport for more than 70% of California wine, dried fruit and other edible exports

Oakland, Calif. (March 18, 2004) - Port of Oakland moved $1.2 billion in agricultural goods to the global marketplace in 2003. Agricultural products and Wine/beverages are two of the Port of Oakland's top ten commodities for export.

The Oakland seaport is the primary gateway for some California product - In one year 96 percent of California wine was shipped through Oakland. The Port also accounted for over 70 percent of California’s edible nut, raisin, melons and dried fruit exports.

Port of Oakland Maritime Director Jerry Bridges said, "The Central Valley and Northern California agricultural producers continue to find that the Port of Oakland has a significant amount of last port of call services. For agricultural producers this is important because it means they have access to the fastest transit time from California to Asia."

The Port of Oakland, as part of its Vision 2000 maritime expansion program, enhanced its terminal capacity to increase throughput. Additionally, the Port's new facilities offer a much greater amount of reefer capacity to handle more refrigerated product.

A critical component of the success of the expansion project is deepening the Oakland Harbor to -50 feet (-50 Foot Project) in order to accommodate the newest generation of container ships, which can carry in excess of 6,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). These ships draw a deeper draft, as much as 48 feet below sea level. The dredging project is underway and requires timely and appropriate federal funding in order to stay on schedule.

The -50 Foot Project will benefit California agricultural shippers. The increased capacity of these larger ships guarantees minimum storage time on the dock, allowing for fresher products and a more competitive edge in the global marketplace.

“The –50-foot project will allow larger container vessels to sail from our port, creating economies of scale that could lead to lower shipping costs for the agricultural community,” said Tay Yoshitani, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland. "We need to ensure that our Central Valley, Napa Valley and Salinas Valley production can be exported from the largest and closest port, which is the Port of Oakland,” Yoshitani stated.

The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 as an independent department of the City of Oakland. The Port of Oakland oversees Oakland International Airport, the Oakland seaport and 19 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport handled a record 1.9 million TEUs in 2003 and is the 4th busiest containerport in the U.S. Some 32 ocean carriers provide service at Oakland. The seaport consists of approximately 900 acres of maritime facilities with 11 major marine terminals and two near-dock rail facilities.

Contact:
Harold Jones
Director of Communications
510 627-1564
hjones@portoakland.com

Alternate Contact:
Marilyn Sandifur
Manager, Media/PR
510-627-1193
msandifur@portoakland.com