The Port of Oakland moved $1.2 billion in agricultural goods to the global marketplace in 2003. Agricultural products and wine/beverages are two of the Port of Oakland’s top ten commodities for export.

The Oakland seaport is the primary gateway for some California products. In one year, 96 percent of California wine was shipped through Oakland. The Port also accounted for over 70 percent of California’s edible nut, raisin, melons, and dried fruit exports.

Port of Oakland Maritime Director Jerry Bridges said, “The Central Valley and Northern California agricultural producers continue to find that the Port of Oakland has a significant amount of last port of call services. For agricultural producers this is important because it means they have access to the fastest transit time from California to Asia.”

The Port of Oakland, as part of its Vision 2000 maritime expansion program, enhanced its terminal capacity to increase throughput. Additionally, the Port’s new facilities offer a much greater amount of reefer capacity to handle more refrigerated product.

A critical component of the success of the expansion project is deepening the Oakland Harbor to -50 feet (-50 Foot Project) in order to accommodate the newest generation of container ships, which can carry in excess of 6,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). These ships draw a deeper draft, as much as 48 feet below sea level. The dredging project is underway and requires timely and appropriate federal funding in order to stay on schedule.

The -50 Foot Project will benefit California agricultural shippers. The increased capacity of these larger ships guarantees minimum storage time on the dock, allowing for fresher products and a more competitive edge in the global marketplace.