WASHINGTON: The Port of Hueneme celebrates 25 years as a U.S. Port of Entry this year. From the time of designation in 1992, the Port and its customers have grown into a recognized revenue source of national importance with cargo volumes more than tripling over the past 25 years from 478,384 tons in 1992 to almost 1.5 million tons today.
The Port of Hueneme is Ventura County’s gateway to the world, providing opportunity for connections to global businesses and markets and significantly contributing to the economic health of Ventura County and Southern California. Over $9 billion in cargo is moved through the port annually, generating $1.5 billion in economic activity and $93 million paid in annual taxes that fund vital community services. The Port also providing more than 13,633 direct, indirect, induced and influenced jobs regionally. In 2015-2016 at the Port of Hueneme, automobile imports totaled approximately 300,168 tons, while fruit and vegetable imports stood at over 108,000 tons. Liquid bulk fertilizer through the Port equaled 160,145 tons. Total cargo increased by 10.6 percent to 1,574,903 measurement tons, a new record at the Port. The Port of Hueneme consistently ranks amongst the top U.S. West Coast Ports for banana imports. Since 1978 when Del Monte started calling the Port, Hueneme has further developed over the years to become the hub for exports of many varieties of fresh fruit grown in Ventura County and the rest of the West Coast. Both global and local companies such as Chiquita, Del Monte, Mission Produce, Calavo, Westfalia Fruit, Five Diamond Cold Storage and Sun Fresh utilize the Port to reach foreign markets through Hueneme. Annually the Port handles over 688,000 tons of fresh fruit. The Port is engaged in multinational Trade Missions to Promote U.S. exports to Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Central America to continue to grow this business and help the local agricultural community.
The Port of Hueneme is also a West Coast strategic ro-ro port for automobiles and specialized high and heavy cargo projects. Automobile brands such as BMW, Volvo, Range Rover, Mitsubishi, Maserati, Kia, Hyundai General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Tesla make use of this efficient cargo operation where there is no congestion and focus is on the customers. In Fiscal Year 2016 over 300,000 autos were imported and 37,873 autos were exported through the Port of Hueneme, and these numbers represent the continuous growth in the Port’s automobile sector – 2016 was a record high year for cars imports and exports in the Port’s history. On April 4, the Port of Hueneme, California, joins the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) entire membership in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean to celebrate Western Hemisphere Ports Day. During this annual celebration, the association recognizes the industry’s role in supporting job creation and propelling the economies of the nations they serve across the Americas. “In partnership with cities, county, agencies and local and global businesses, the Port of Hueneme continues to provide unique strategic initiatives to grow the industries of agriculture and automotive, among others,” said CEO & Port Director Kristin Decas. “The Port of Hueneme is typically known as ‘the port that farmers built,’ but the Port is also a hub for innovation, facilitating the growth of new industries and technologies through our Maritime Advanced Systems & Technology (MAST) Innovation Lab.”
