LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Senate Rules Committee approved the reauthorization of the seven-member Select Committee on Ports & Goods Movement, naming Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D- Long Beach) as Chair.

Sen. Gonzalez, whose Senate District 33 includes the Port of Long Beach and numerous Gateway Cities along the I-710 corridor, stated the pressing need to revive this important committee: “Communities throughout the state are deeply impacted by trade and goods movement. It is critical that the Senate understands the challenges and opportunities for our California ports, and that we work with industry leaders and community partners to ensure we remain a global leader for workforce development, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.”

The committee will facilitate dialogue about critical issues facing California ports and the goods movement industry statewide. Committee members will explore potential policy recommendations through hearings, policy briefings, and tours of ports and trade and logistics hubs in the state.

Port of Long Beach Executive Director, Mario Cordero, welcomed the reauthorization of the committee: “California ports face spirited competition from other North American seaports as well as challenges created by the national trade policies of the last few years. Gatherings of policy makers and industry experts such as this are one of the ways we collaborate and ensure our seaports will continue to be vibrant economic engines for the Golden State.”

Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles and Chair of the California Association of Port Authorities, also said he looks forward to working with the select committee: “California is the largest state for global trade, and there’s important work for this committee to do on issues including infrastructure, the environment, economic and workforce development, and making sure our state’s 11 public ports advance sustainability, competitiveness and efficiency.”

California is the world’s fifth-largest economy, home to eleven port facilities. More than 40% of containerized cargo entering the United States from Asia passes through California’s ports. Combined, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach rank the ninth-busiest port complex in the world, and goods movement accounts for almost half-a-million jobs in the state, generating an estimated $9 billion in tax revenue annually.

On Jan. 22, 2020, the Senate Rules Committee approved the reauthorization of the seven-member committee in a unanimous vote of 5-0. Other members of the committee include Senators Ben Allen, Steven Bradford, Connie Leyva, and Mike McGuire. Two vacancies remain.