WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that the Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance are now members of the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) initiative, an innovative supply chain data-sharing partnership.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance includes the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma.
This expands the initiative's reach to the five largest container ports on the West Coast.
The Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance join the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach as FLOW members. Collectively, they comprise roughly 95 percent of West Coast inbound container volume. With all major West Coast ports now FLOW members, ocean carriers, shippers, truckers, and railroads will be able to better plan for and predict capacity needs to keep cargo moving and avoid bottlenecks.
FLOW is a first-of-its-kind private-public partnership created by DOT to help create a shared picture of the U.S. supply chain for members, which include the nation's busiest container ports, major ocean carriers, and some of the largest retail importers.
'With today's announcement, FLOW's membership now reaches the five largest container ports on the West Coast, which will lead to more informed decisions across America's supply chains. This work serves to improve efficiency and ultimately help lower costs for consumers,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Supply chains accounted for more than 80 percent of the fall in inflation seen in 2023, according to the Department of Transportation.
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