U.S. Navy Base at Port Hueneme Lends Space for Christmas Cargoes

chiquita progress — The feeder Chiquita Progress departed Yantian carrying Chinese exports on October 24. She arrived at the U.S. Navy's Wharf 3 in Port Hueneme to offload last week (USN photo)

The U.S. Navy has activated a longstanding partnership with the Oxnard Harbor District (OHD), allowing the commercial port to use Navy property at Port Hueneme to handle containerized freight. The agreement is aimed at taking pressure off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are struggling to accommodate soaring U.S. consumer demand for goods from Asia.

“Naval Base Ventura County recently welcomed a large cargo vessel,” said Daniel J. Herrera, assistant program director for port operations at the base. “Ports of America already off-loaded a large number of forty-foot containers into lot 22 onboard [the base], which is merchandise expected to have direct impact with helping to support holiday supply demands.”

A longtime agreement between Naval Base Ventura County and OHD allows the base to support commercial logistics when the harbor district needs more space. The agreement allows commercial use of the base's Wharf 3, including about 21 acres of land, two warehouses, and up to 10 acres of industrial land located nearby.

The agreement was activated in November to help reduce shipping congestion and help out with the national supply chain crisis. The objective is to attract smaller boxships into the port to unload some or all of their containers - and to give the commercial Port of Hueneme more space to take on more traffic of its own.

"We are grateful to the base for securing real estate to help stage the backlog of containers, enabling us to take on more cargo, avoid congestion here at POH and get important commodities to market, including electronics, furniture, apparel and our traditional agricultural and automobile products,” said Kristin Decas, POH Director and Chief Executive Officer.

"The Navy recognizes the importance of being good neighbors with our local communities, and makes every effort to provide support when current operational requirements allow," said Capt. Robert Kimnach III, commanding officer of NBVC. "The joint use agreement between Naval Base Ventura County and the Oxnard Harbor District is in direct support of reducing port congestion and the national supply-chain shortage and demonstrates one example of the positive, long-term partnership between the Navy and the local community.”