Port of Prince Rupert to highlight Northwest advantage at major Chinese conference

A delegation from the Port of Prince Rupert is helping
to share the word on what the Northwest has to offer the world
as they take part in a major trade event in China this week

Representatives of the Port of Prince Rupert have set up shop in Shenzen China this week, taking part in a major transportation conference hosted by the Journal of Commerce that brings together port officials, shipping lines and supply chain providers to explore ways to improve the global shipping industry.

The TPM Asia Conference is a three day gathering featuring a range of discussions, workshops and opportunities to make connections  and raise profiles.

For Prince Rupert that opportunity came through a sponsorship of the registration for the three days of the conference, with the Port prominently featured in the Agenda package for the event.

Today makes for the introductory phase of the conference, as delegates for the most part meet informally with a number of welcome events, with the major programs set to be delivered through Thursday and Friday.

Some of the key topics to be reviewed over the course of the event include:

A Keynote address opens the conference on Thursday exploring the state of the global container shipping business and the core challenges that face the industry in the years ahead.

A review of the current economic slowdown in China, an ongoing concern that major shipping lines continue to keep a watchful eye on.

The theme of Port productivity in the era of the Mega Ship is also a theme for Thursday featuring a review of the impact of the newest generation of shipping vessels on port facilities and plans for the future.

Friday's focus seems to be directed to logistics and cyber security issues, though the day begins with a look to the past and a review of some of the major economic/political issues of the day such as Brexit, the start of the Trump administration in Washington and how ports and shipping lines can chart their future.

Part of the opening session for Friday will include a look back at the collapse of the Haijin shipping
line and what lessons can be reviewed from that major event of last year.

The rest of the day's information sessions are given over to themes on convergence, technology and the shift of China from a supplier to a global buyer and what that means for the global shipping industry.

You can review the full listings of the conference here, updates on the themes of the three day conference are also available through two twitter feeds created for the event.

#TPMAsia
#TPMAsia2017

The Port of Prince Rupert is listed among some major port operators as attending this years event, offering up a chance to further expand on the port's footprint in Asian shipping circles and to look to increase the volume of shipping that might be directed to the Pacific Northwest gateway that Prince Rupert offers.

Among the themes that they will be highlighting for the delegates is the connectivity to Eastern Canada and much of the US that the Port has through the CN Rail service to Port facilities.

More notes related to the Port of Prince Rupert can be found on our archive page here.