Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba: Why America's Ports Are The Economy in Motion | 13th & Park

Dr. Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, joins 13th and Park for a conversation on global trade, supply chain resilience, and how the Port of Long Beach handled 2.3 million container units in the first quarter of 2026. That makes it the busiest container port in the nation, even as geopolitical disruptions push oil prices higher and add costs across the entire transportation network. Hacegaba breaks down the port's landlord business model, the shift in cargo origins from China to Southeast Asia, and why that geographic change is putting new pressure on speed and infrastructure. He outlines the port's 2050 vision to double container throughput to 20 million units, anchored by a $3.3 billion capital investment program and the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a project he calls a game changer for reducing a four-day container transaction down to 24 hours. The conversation also covers what Congress and the Trump administration can do to support port infrastructure through Surface Transportation Reauthorization, the port's workforce development partnerships with schools and universities, and the role Long Beach will play as a logistics hub during the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Hacegaba closes with the story of how a chance seating mix-up at a chamber of commerce event led to his first job at the port, and the lesson he now shares with students: never underestimate the power of networking and first impressions. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:21 Strait of Hormuz Impact 3:19 How Ports Generate Revenue 4:27 Port of Long Beach is leading the Nation in Containers 4:57 Noel Hacegaba's Message to Washington 6:45 What Congress Can Do 8:08 The $3.3B Infrastructure Plan 9:01 Why Long Beach Leads 9:48 Where the Cargo Comes From 11:41 Noel's Unlikely Career Path 13:35 Workforce and the Future 15:06 The Port of long beach and LA 2028 16:18 Closing Remarks Follow Us! X: https://x.com/13thandPark IG: https://www.instagram.com/13th_and_park/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13thandpark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13th_and_park Follow Noel Hacegaba LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-noel-hacegaba-60b7894/ #portsoflongbeach #globaltradewar #supplychain #tradePolicy #infrastructureusa #straitofhormuz #americanports #containershippping #economicpolicy #13thandpark #washingtondc #adamgoodman #politicalpodcast #tariffs #la2028 #freighttransportation #useconomy