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Vote opens on controversial Port of LA workforce disclosure rules

Californians head for the polls today to decide on Charter Amendment PRT - a package of changes affecting Los Angeles's airports, harbour, and Department of Water and Power, including new workforce disclosure requirements for leases at the port. The measure would require applicants for certain new Harbor Department leases, extensions, and amendments, to provide information on their employment and economic impacts, to be assessed by the Board of Harbor Commissioners . The vote comes amid opposition from a coalition of more than 50 business and supply chain organisations, including the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA), claiming the proposed changes could "introduce uncertainty into underwriting and leasing decisions", and risk "discouraging investment and diverting cargo to competing ports". In a letter to Los Angeles City Council, the coalition urged councillors to retain the existing charter provisions governing port operations, and that embedding operational requirements in the City Charter could weaken the Harbor Commission's authority, and its ability to respond to changing market conditions and technologies. Signatories also include the Harbor Trucking Association, Foreign Trade Association, LA Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association, and LA Area Chamber of Commerce. While the letter does not specifically refer to terminal automation, its concerns over investment uncertainty and the port's ability to adapt to evolving technologies raise questions about the potential implications for future automation projects. The amendment does not explicitly prohibit automation, or give the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) a veto on investment decisions. However, employers have previously raised concerns that workforce disclosure requirements could create another obstacle to automation proposals. Port of Los Angeles declined to comment, saying it had played no role in the amendment. Yusen Terminals also declined, and no response was received from APM Terminals, TraPac or the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators' Association. No formal ballot argument against PRT was submitted, although the Chamber of Commerce has publicly opposed the measure, citing concerns about additional requirements on businesses and the potential impact on port operations. The ballot measure also includes provisions on funding for waterfront public access projects, longer lease terms for certain city departments and changes to the composition of the Airport Commission.

SLOSCO - Sierra Leone's latest Chinese shipping venture

After two ambitious Chinese-backed infrastructure projects were abandoned or stalled, Sierra Leone is turning to another Chinese partner to develop a "national" shipping industry. The financing model has changed, but familiar questions remain. On 19 October, Sierra Leone inaugurated its new national shipping company, Sierra Leone Ocean Shipping Company (SLOSCO), with ambitions to operate, in time, 50 vessels and capture a significant share of the country's maritime trade. The venture is 70% owned by China's Zhejiang Xiehai Group, with the remaining 30% held by the state-owned Sierra Leone National Shipping Agency (SLNSA). The objective is straightforward: retain more of the freight earnings generated by Sierra Leone's imports and mineral exports. But the country has a history of ambitious Chinese-backed transport investments that failed to materialise. Non-events In November 2017, ICBC and China Eximbank agreed to finance a $659m expansion of Freetown's Queen Elizabeth II Quay, backed by a sovereign guarantee. The project's financial viability was questionable. Its repayment structure depended partly on port-related revenues, potentially increasing costs for shipping lines and cargo owners. The project stalled following the 2018 change of government. In September 2026, an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists revealed that ICBC had committed to financing before completing its due diligence. Subsequent compliance checks identified corruption allegations involving individuals connected to the developer. ICBC ultimately decided not to disburse its financing, according to the investigation. The allegations were rejected by the developer's representatives. Another Chinese-backed project suffered a similar fate. In 2018, Sierra Leone cancelled the proposed $318m Mamamah International Airport after concluding that the investment was economically unjustifiable, particularly given the underutilisation of the existing airport. Both cases demonstrated the risks of pursuing ambitious infrastructure development without sufficiently convincing commercial foundations. Today? SLOSCO is fundamentally different in one respect: it is structured as an equity joint-venture, rather than a sovereign-guaranteed infrastructure loan. Xiehai is an established shipping operator with a fleet of 42 vessels and a commercial network. This potentially allows SLOSCO to enter the market without purchasing dozens of vessels or accumulating substantial public debt. Yet the distinction between vessels actually owned by SLOSCO, those chartered from Xiehai, and ships merely managed commercially remains unclear. More importantly, the Sierra Leone National Shipping Agency Act 2025 grants the national carrier discretionary rights concerning the transportation of 40% of the value of the country's imports and exports. That could be more commercially significant than the fleet itself. But cargo value is not freight revenue, and statutory rights do not necessarily translate into actual shipping contracts. Much of Sierra Leone's mineral trade involves international commodity buyers and exporters who may already control vessel nominations. The question is whether SLOSCO can compete commercially or will depend on preferential access to cargo. Illicit cargo? At this point we have to also refer to the well-documented case of Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, who is Sierra Leone president Julius Bio, and who has established the country as a key hub in the transport of cocaine from South America to Europe. These are not merely allegations - Dutch courts have sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to over 100 years in prison for several murders, while this excellent Guardian report details the extraordinary lengths that he has gone to using established shipping routes (and companies, for shipping industry folk it's a roll-call of household names and really is a must-read for anyone trying to understand how licit and illicit cargoes intersect) from Freetown to ship drugs to Europe. Which means there is a possibility that the SLOSCO project could, in part, be an attempt to create a legitimate business to cover the doings of an illegitimate one... But that aside... Sierra Leone's ambition to retain maritime earnings is understandable. However, freight revenues must cover vessel operating costs, charter hire, financing and insurance, while 70% of the company's equity belongs to its Chinese partner. The country may still benefit substantially through employment, taxes, dividends and maritime expertise. For Sierra Leone, the decisive test will not be whether SLOSCO reaches 50 vessels or secures a statutory share of cargo. It will be whether the arrangement delivers competitive freight services, sustainable returns and measurable economic value for the country. After the unfulfilled port expansion and the abandoned airport, Sierra Leone has an opportunity to demonstrate that it has learned from experience. This time, the ships may already exist. The question is whether the business model can stand on its own.

Turkish Airlines to lease converted Boeing 777 freighters from AerCap

Turkish Airlines has signed lease agreements with AerCap for two Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter (P2F) aircraft, with deliveries scheduled between March and September 2027. The aircraft will undergo conversion at the Etihad Engineering MRO hub in Abu Dhabi, said aircraft lessor AerCap. In 2021, Etihad Engineering signed a strategic partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to provide Passenger to Freighter (P2F) conversions on Boeing 777-300ER's. The converted 777-300ERSF freighters will join 12 777Fs that are already in Turkish Airlines' fleet, according to data from Planespotters. "We are delighted to continue supporting our long-standing partner, Turkish Airlines, with the addition of two Boeing 777-300ERSF aircraft to its fleet. These aircraft will provide Turkish Airlines with additional cargo capacity, combined with the outstanding performance capabilities of the 777-300ERSF," said Peter Anderson, chief commercial officer, AerCap. He added: "The dedicated 777-300ERSF conversion facility at Etihad Engineering's MRO hub in Abu Dhabi provides an important regional platform capability, enabling the aircraft to be converted in the Middle East ahead of delivery to Turkish Airlines. "We thank Turkish Airlines for their enduring partnership and Etihad Engineering for their ongoing commitment to the programme." In August last year, IAI received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion programme to join its STC from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI). The following month, AerCap delivered the first two converted Boeing 777 freighters to launch operator Kalitta Air. AerCap said it has since delivered 777-300ERSFs to Fly Meta and signed lease agreements with Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Group for the aircraft.