Los Angeles and Southern California Regional Focus on Exports: Life in the Fast Lane

DATE: 07/04/18

Top economic centers are San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego. The thriving tech sector is dispersed in southern California but Silicon Valley is the epicenter.

It’s no secret Southern California moves at a fast pace whether it’s lifestyle or the economy. In 2017, the entire state ranked as the world’s fifth largest economy, with a GDP all its own of more than $2.7 trillion. Top economic centers are San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego. The thriving tech sector is dispersed in southern California but Silicon Valley is the epicenter. Los Angeles (LA) is home of the world’s entertainment capital in Hollywood, making LA a mecca for film production and the arts.

>Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire is a major transshipment zone for the retail industry, supported by strong Asian imports to the region given the mighty seaports of Los Angeles and Oakland and abundant air service from Asia to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Amerijet International Airlines, a Miami-based all-cargo air carrier, has an established presence in southern California,  serving the worldwide shipping needs of the entertainment and arts communities, the thriving LA Fashion District and temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals manufactured in the region, among other types of freight.

LA is the first port of entry for many Asian products which are either immediately distributed or go on for value-added services or warehousing. We cater to both freight forwarders and direct shippers in the West Coast region for many types of outbound international shipping situations,” said Nina Gonzalez, Southern & West Coast Regional Manager with Amerijet.

Amerijet moves West Coast exports to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Latin America on its own scheduled service from Miami International Airport (MIA) on its B767 and B727 freighter aircraft to 38 destinations in the region. Interline agreements with most major air carriers also allow it to arrange shipments to more than 475 markets worldwide, directly from the West Coast or elsewhere.

Short- or long-term warehousing for freight is often a requirement of a West Coast logistics partner. “We provide warehousing for inbound or outbound freight as well as consolidation services,” said Roberto Castillo, Account Executive with Amerijet, noting the warehouse facility is conveniently located in downtown LA.

Freight can be dropped off at the Amerijet station in downtown LA, or at its LAX station. “We also pick up freight upon request, especially large shipments, including the heavyweight and oversize shipments we handle,” Castillo said. From LA, freight transits directly to MIA on Amerijet’s nightly scheduled service to Miami, arriving in three and one-half days.

Amerijet draws freight from across the western region, including Seattle and San Francisco. It also ships significant general cargo and machinery from San Diego to the Caribbean and countries such as Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Southern Cal exports

Frequently handled heavyweight shipments from LA by Amerijet include production equipment commonly headed to the Caribbean and Mexico for on-location filming. Or, stage sets and musical equipment. “A lot of our oversized equipment shipments are event-related,” said Robert Castillo, Account Executive at Amerijet’s Los Angeles office. “The concert industry is heaviest during our winter in the U.S., given it’s their summer in the Caribbean and Mexico.”

Apparel shipping is another specialty of Amerijet and its LA offices, located close to the LA Fashion District, allow retail buyers to frequently ship their newly purchased “fast fashion” apparel and footwear directly to points in the Caribbean, such as Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad where their stores are located.

Finished pharmaceuticals are another West Coast export, sometimes bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico or Kingston, Jamaica, or other points in the Caribbean.  “Many of these shipments are passive cold-chain shipments given they are packed in insulated packaging, with dry ice or cold packs, and don’t require handling or storage in active temperature-controlled units required for other temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and biologics,” said Gonzalez.

Amerijet recently received IATA’s The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification designating that the carrier is in full compliance with national and international pharmaceutical shipping regulations and standards.

We like to get to know our customers and we stay in touch with them with personalized service. We are available 24/7,” Castillo said. If you have West Coast-based shipping needs for service to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond, call (305) 506-2969, or email sales.lax@app-wpprod-prod-eastus2-001.azurewebsites.net.

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