Longview, Washington – Today officials from EGT, LLC and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced the scheduled arrival of the first export vessel at the EGT terminal on Tuesday, February 7. The ship’s arrival is an important milestone in the process of bringing the grain export terminal fully online and in the developing relationship between EGT and the ILWU. Once docked at the terminal, Longshore union workers at the facility will load the vessel with soft white wheat from Washington State for export to Korea.
“EGT is open for business,” said EGT CEO Larry Clarke. “By increasing grain exports from Longview, we not only help support local workers and residents, but we create opportunities for thousands of American farmers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This development also helps strengthen the partnership between EGT and local workers from the ILWU and we look forward to continuing to work together. ”
“The men and women of the ILWU are pleased to bring their many decades of grain handling experience to work at EGT,” said ILWU International President Robert McEllrath. “The partnership between the ILWU and EGT will ensure many years of safe, productive operation at the facility, and stability in the Pacific Northwest grain export industry.”
Background on the Ship:
- The ship is a time charter registered under EGT partner company STX Pan Ocean
- Cargo: Once loaded, the ship will hold just over 57,000 metric tonnes of soft white wheat grown in Washington State
- Destination: Korea
Background on EGT’s Longview Facility:
EGT operates the first export grain terminal built in the United States in over twenty-five years, a $200 million state-of-the-art facility redefining the boundaries of Pacific Northwest grain export with its higher speed, greater flexibility, and superior efficiency. The terminal is among the leading facilities operating in the region, a status secured by its groundbreaking design that enables it to handle wheat, corn, soybeans, soybean meal, and DDGs through both barge and rail. Given these capabilities, EGT’s entry to the Pacific Northwest strengthens U.s. trade flows and sets a new standard for grain export.
EGT, LLC is a joint venture between Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG); ITOCHU International Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Japanese trading company ITOCHU Corp. (TYO: 8001); and South Korea-based STX Pan Ocean (KRX: 028670. KS, SGX: GZ9), one of the top major bulk carriers in the world.
Background on the ILWU
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union represents 50,000 men and women on the docks, in grain terminals, in warehouses and in other industries in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Alaska, and British Columbia. Formed on the U.S. West Coast in the 1930’s, the union has negotiated hundreds of contracts that promote safe and sustainable working conditions while ensuring the productive operation of facilities handling grain, containers, breakbulk, autos, logs and virtually every other cargo in more than 40 American and Canadian ports. ILWU Local 21 has been handling grain at the Ports of Longview and Kalama since 1927.