Twenty members of the Port Authorities Roundtable from Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America met on April 24 to declare their commitment to ensuring their ports remain open amidst the current pandemic.

The declaration, initiated by Singapore, calls for port authorities to collaborate and share best practices in ensuring that port operations are not disrupted.

Through this joint declaration, the signatories are committed to work together and ensure that:

•  Merchant ships can continue to berth at port terminals to carry out cargo operations and keep the global supply chain going;
•  Best practices are adopted, according to national circumstances, including precautionary measures for the shipping community, advisories and assistance for shore personnel and ship crew, and safe handling of cargoes during this period; and
•  Port authorities continue to share experiences in combating COVID-19 while safeguarding unimpeded maritime trade.

The Roundtable has shared the declaration with the IMO and the International Association of Ports and Harbours to rally other port authorities to join the declaration.

List of 20 members who signed the declaration

Abu Dhabi Ports
Antwerp Port Authority
Bureau of Port and Harbor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Busan Port Authority
Guangzhou Port Authority
Hamburg Port Authority
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Montreal Port Authority
Ningbo Municipal Port Administration Bureau
Port Authority of Thailand (Bangkok Port)
Port of Barcelona
Port and Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama
Port and Harbor Bureau, Kobe City Government
Port Klang Authority
Port of Long Beach
Port of Los Angeles
Port of Rotterdam
Port of Seattle
Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission
Port of Le Havre

Source: maritime-executive