The Port of Los Angeles has formalised a sister-port relationship with Shenzhen Port Group and Yantian International Container Terminals through a memorandum of understanding signed on 9 July 2026, the port announced.
The agreement establishes a multi-faceted cooperation framework between one of the United States' largest container gateways and Shenzhen, which is described in the memorandum as among the world’s busiest and most technologically advanced port complexes.
Parties to the agreement identified a wide range of collaborative areas, including green technologies, clean energy, port operations, maritime innovation, logistics and supply-chain development. The framework sets out practical mechanisms for engagement, such as technical exchanges, best-practice sharing and joint research and demonstration projects.
The memorandum also foresees business development initiatives, workforce engagement and regular formal dialogue to sustain the sister-port relationship. Future cooperation was highlighted in specific fields: green-port technology, maritime logistics, supply-chain optimisation, trade facilitation and maritime workforce development.
Port of Los Angeles officials attended a conference in Shenzhen at which the Shenzhen Port International Green Shipping Corridor Cooperation Initiative was launched. That initiative focuses on cleaner fuels, advanced technology and operational efficiency, and attracted 850 representatives from ports, carriers, cargo owners, manufacturers, government agencies and industry associations.
Los Angeles underlined that the new arrangement joins its existing green-corridor partnerships. The port noted ongoing collaborations with Shanghai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Yokohama and partners in Vietnam as part of its broader effort to reduce emissions and improve supply-chain performance.
Practical cooperation and exchanges
The memorandum sets out a practical programme of technical exchanges and best-practice sharing, indicating that participating organisations will pursue research and demonstration projects together. The emphasis on demonstration projects suggests an intent to pilot new approaches in real operational settings rather than limiting work to policy dialogue.
Green corridors and operational efficiency
The Shenzhen launch and the wider green-corridor agenda received particular attention in the memorandum. Cleaner fuels, advanced technology and measures to enhance operational efficiency are singled out as priorities where Shenzhen and Los Angeles expect to coordinate activity, complementing the port’s existing network of green-corridor partners.
The agreement is framed as a long-term relationship built on regular engagement between port authorities and terminal operators. By combining exchanges, joint projects and workforce development activities, the memorandum aims to support both immediate operational improvements and longer-term innovation across the partnered ports.
Together the parties intend to pursue opportunities in trade facilitation and supply-chain optimisation that could ease cargo flows and improve resilience. Workforce engagement is also a named strand of cooperation, reflecting shared interest in skills development and the labour dimensions of port modernisation.
The Port of Los Angeles presented the memorandum to an international audience in Shenzhen and linked the partnership to the broader green shipping corridor initiative launched at the same event. The presence of a large cross-section of industry and government representatives at the conference underlined the sector-wide focus on cleaner fuels and technology-driven efficiency.
Observers will watch how the sister-port relationship translates into concrete projects and measurable outcomes, particularly in the areas of emissions reduction, fuel transition and operational improvements. The memorandum provides a structured route for that work through exchanges, pilot projects and sustained institutional contact, according to the Port of Los Angeles.