Busan Port Authority Holds First Seminar in Sendai, Japan... "Busan Port Is Optimal for North American Transshipment"

Full-scale Port Sales Activities Begin in Tohoku Region
to Secure Transshipment Demand for North America

Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Song Sanggeun) held its first Busan Port promotion seminar in Sendai, a gateway city in Japan's Tohoku region, marking the official start of port sales activities in the Tohoku area.

BPA announced on July 8 that it held the "Busan Port Utilization Promotion Seminar" on July 7 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, targeting around 130 local shipping and logistics industry representatives. This event was organized to revitalize the regular route between Sendai Port and Busan Port and to expand strategic bases to secure transshipment demand for North American routes.

This is the first time that Busan Port Authority has held a seminar in Sendai, a major city on Japan's east coast. The event is significant as it marks the first expansion of BPA's business activities in Japan from the traditionally focused western region to the Tohoku area.

During the event, BPA highlighted Busan Port's global network, logistics cost savings, and operational improvements aimed at enhancing punctuality and reliability. The authority also emphasized that Busan Port serves as the "last port" for North American routes, noting that exports and imports to and from North America account for 26.3% of Miyagi Prefecture's trade.

In fact, as of last year, 26 routes from Asia to North America selected Busan Port as their final port of call, far exceeding Shanghai's 13 and Shenzhen's 9.

At the event, Kawashima, a consultant from Japanese digital forwarder Shippio, cited the Shenzhen-Sendai route as an example, explaining that logistics costs are reduced by 25-30% when using Busan Port as a transshipment hub compared to using major Japanese ports, thereby highlighting Busan Port's transshipment competitiveness.

President Song Sanggeun stated, "It is meaningful to introduce the competitiveness of Busan Port directly in Sendai, the central city of Japan's Tohoku region. We will strengthen cooperation with port officials in Miyagi Prefecture and the Tohoku region to create a truly win-win relationship."

Prior to the event, BPA held a luncheon meeting with Miyagi Prefecture Governor Murai Yoshihiro to discuss ways to strengthen port cooperation between the two regions. Governor Murai, who also serves as the chairman of the governors of Japan's 47 prefectures, reaffirmed the commitment to cooperation between Busan Port and Sendai Port during this meeting.

BPA is currently analyzing cargo flows throughout Japan to identify target regions for transshipment. The Tohoku region, which has an annual potential transshipment volume of 270,000 TEU, is being considered a strategic area where customized sales activities will be intensified in the future.

Busan Port Authority President Song Sanggeun (5th from the left) and Murai Yoshihiro, branch manager (6th from the left), attending the luncheon meeting.