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Dr. Noel Hacegaba (l) is interviewed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: Port of Long Beach)<\/p>\nWith American ports in the eye of the global trade storm, Port of Long Beach\u2019s new chief executive, Dr. Noel Hacegaba, was invited to this week\u2019s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he joined a pan-global discussion on the future of trade, supply chains and economic resilience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my first time attending the World Economic Forum\u2019s Annual Meeting, and I see it as a valuable opportunity to engage directly with leaders who are shaping global policy and markets,\u201d said Hacegaba, in a release, and who also serves as president of the California Association of Port Authorities. \u201cPorts sit at the intersection of trade, geopolitics, climate and technology, making Davos a unique forum to discuss how supply chains can remain resilient, sustainable and secure in a rapidly changing world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Noel Hacegaba (l) is interviewed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: Port of Long Beach)<\/p>\n
Long Beach and its Los Angeles sister port are the busiest container hubs in the United States. LA handled more than 10 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025; Long Beach volume was 9.9 million TEUs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe value of the World Economic Forum is less about geography and more about who is in the room and the willingness to engage across borders,\u201d said Hacegaba, the only representative of a U.S. seaport at the summit. \u201cThat kind of candid dialogue remains essential at a time of heightened global uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his visit, Hacegaba met with leading transportation and supply chain companies for conversations on the impacts of evolving trade policy including the effects of tariffs on cargo flows.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrade policy changes tend to introduce uncertainty,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the Port of Long Beach, that can result in shifts in cargo timing, sourcing strategies and routing decisions, often creating short-term volatility even when long-term demand remains strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
The southern California port complex saw volumes weaken in 2025 as President Donald Trump\u2019s trade war on China whipsawed imports and exports across the trans-Pacific shipping lanes. That came against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and shifting partnerships that signaled a worldwide reset in trade.\u00a0Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom also attended the Forum.<\/p>\n
In the coming decade Long Beach plans $3.2 billion in capital improvements to build capacity and sustainability.<\/p>\n
Hacegaba also participated in roundtable discussions with Cabinet-level officials from the United States, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick; ministers from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, and CEOs from the world\u2019s largest shipping, logistics and transportation companies and business leaders.<\/p>\n
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n Related coverage:<\/p>\n Port of Los Angeles tops 10M containers for third time<\/a><\/p>\n Major container carrier reverses course on Red Sea return<\/a><\/p>\n Long Beach volume to double to 20M containers by 2050<\/a><\/p>\n