October 6, 2025 in Podcast
A Candid Conversation with Gene Seroka
April Chapman:
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the APLL Pulse Podcast, where you can uncover new insights from the logistics and freight forwarding industry through the seasoned experts at APL Logistics, a global supply chain provider. We’ll help you keep pace with the current topics impacting businesses, and advance your logistics strategy.
Hi, everyone, this is April Chapman, your host. And today, I am so excited to introduce you to Gene Seroka. Gene is the executive director at the Port of LA, which is the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere. He is a respected global trade expert and has distinguished himself as a leader throughout his illustrious career in shipping, global logistics, and executive management. Gene is responsible for managing a $2.6 billion budget, advancing major capital projects, growing trade volume, and promoting innovative, sustainable practices that strengthen the region’s economy. And prior to joining the port, Gene held several key positions, both nationally and internationally in sales and management for American President Lines or APL Limited, which is where our paths cross since that was once our parent company. So thank you, Gene, for joining us today.
Gene Seroka:
Great to see you. Thanks a bunch for having me on, April.
April Chapman:
Well, let’s jump right in. I know everyone’s excited to hear from you. So let’s talk about some shipping traffic, because I know that the Port of LA has had some really strong numbers this summer for cargo volumes. So what factors do you believe are driving this increase, and what are your expectations for the remainder of the year?
Gene Seroka:
Oh, it’s been a roller coaster of a year. If you fell asleep in January and woke up today listening to this podcast, you’d think the Port of Los Angeles is doing all right. We’re up about 5% for the year, but holy crow, it’s been a bunch of ups and downs, more than 100 announcements on trade policy and tariffs coming from Washington. In the month of May, people slammed on the brakes after those super high tariffs went into place. And once those policies were relaxed and deadlines extended, we saw deluge of cargo coming our way.
But what I’m most proud of is, over the last 12 months since this conversation took a central focus in the supply chain community, folks have been front-loading, trying to build inventories, and get in under the wire of some of these elevated taxes on American imports. We’ve moved more cargo during that time than we did during the peak of the peak during COVID, and not one ship has been backed up. We learned a lot. We leaned on each other, we worked together more. We employed some technology that really helped, and we made sure that our infrastructure was up to the task. So it has been something to be a part of.
But at the same time, we’re not done yet. I don’t think the script has been fully written. We’ve seen even this week alone, new tariff announcements on furniture, cabinetry, even prescription medicine have been announced. So supply chain and transportation folks around the country continue to tell me they’re watching every move that’s being made, and hopefully, they’ll learn what the rules are so they begin planning for their next steps with their company and their transportation requirements.
April Chapman:
Yes. I mean, there’s just been so much coming in to try to get ahead of it all. Let’s talk a little bit about the exports. So can you share the current trends that you’re seeing in the exports? And can be a movement of maybe even empty containers.
Gene Seroka:
Yeah, undoubtedly, there’s a drag on exports, and it’s kind of counterintuitive because we’ve seen the US dollar weaken, which means that you could, if you’re an overseas trading nation, buy more American products with the money you have, but that’s not the case. Because of the stance that some have taken on trade policy, some of our more normal and historical trading partners are making deals with other countries and without the United States. Soybeans are coming from Brazil and Argentina, almonds from Australia, and we’ve seen the American farmer really get hit pretty hard because they’re not selling as much product as they did. And whether that’s the Red River Delta in North Dakota or right here in the Central Valley of California, much work needs to be done to renew those relationships and get more American ag products into overseas markets.
April Chapman:
Yeah, markets like stability, right? So let’s talk about policy because you have mentioned policy a couple of times. So projecting forward, how do you envision policy changes is really affecting the port?
Gene Seroka:
That’s going to be interesting. We got a taste of this back in 2018 when the first tariffs went into place and the get-tough-on-China policies were enacted. At that time, China represented about 60% of our business portfolio here at the Port of Los Angeles. Fast-forward today, it’s about 40% and dropping, yet we’ve still grown. We’ve been chasing every pound of freight as sourcing and manufacturing ships to Southeast Asia really take place, even though there’s China-based investment in many locations. But we’ve seen shipping lines put in nonstop services. A renewed effort in supply chain management looks to make sure that that speed component that’s been so important to the Port of Los Angeles remains intact.
April Chapman:
That makes sense. So talking about the policies and how these are going to impact, there’s obviously tariffs is on top of mind for a lot of people. So while many people are unclear about how tariffs actually work, and the port is very integral in that part of the process, so can you describe for our audience how tariffs are maybe collected there? How it impacts you guys?
Gene Seroka:
The current version of tariffs are applied to imported goods in some cases by category, whatever widget that may be, or in many cases now with this new version, by country of origin. So a container comes over on a ship to the Port of Los Angeles, before it can be picked up by the cargo owner, the importer of record, the American company who is bringing those goods in, they have to pay that tariff to US Customs and Border Patrol.
Los Angeles is the largest customs district in the country. And headed by director, Africa Bell, the rank and file folks at USCBP are doing a great job. They’re not slowing down the cargo because it’s so complex to keep up with these 12-digit harmonized codes, new tariffs on every commodity grouping that you could imagine. They’re working around the clock to make sure the cargo keeps flowing, even though they have to do so much more on the evaluation stance of each container that comes in. They’re doing a great job. But before that container can leave the port, those tariffs have to be paid to CBP. CBP then transfers that money to the United States Department of Treasury.
April Chapman:
Wow, that is a lot of adapting. You guys have to be quick to move, quick to change. That’s a lot of heavy lifting, literally, figuratively, all of it. So let’s talk about the future. So how are you preparing the Port of LA for 2026 and beyond?
Gene Seroka:
Number one, as I mentioned at the top, we all lean on each other. The information sharing, the digesting of all of this data that comes our way has to be shared. Let’s get perspectives, let’s try to help each other plan for what the next steps are.
Unfortunately, what I hear from a lot of companies is they continue to hit the pause button. We’ve seen the jobs numbers the last four months, and in fact, this week they won’t be released because of the federal government shutdown, which we hope can be resolved very quickly. But realistically speaking, capital investment is down, long-term decisions aren’t being made, hiring is really slow, and folks are just waiting for some permanency to this trade policy so they can understand what it means, what the ground rules are, and then get to work. That’s not been done yet.
But speaking of that federal government shutdown, the port has not and will not be impacted. Operations continue as normal. Law enforcement is essential as defined by the federal government, so USCBP and the necessary folks are out on the job making sure the cargo continues to move here at the nation’s largest trade gateway.
April Chapman:
Oh, that’s good. That is great that that’s considered the essential services because it is an essential service. So thank you for what you guys do. This is an interesting question to me because I’m very interested in how things are going with the AI space. So how do you view emerging technologies such as AI and automation impacting the port?
Gene Seroka:
It’s probably the most polarizing topic of conversation around the ports today, whether it be information technology, robotics, automation. What we can say here in the city and Port of Los Angeles is the technology is moving faster than we’ve ever seen it in our lifetimes, but we cannot leave the workforce behind. And that is our guiding principle.
Around the world, there are 360 ports that are observed by outside interests. Only about 5% of them have some influence around robotics and automation. Here at the twin ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, 25% of our terminals are automated, yet longshore jobs, the dock workers that move all this cargo fearlessly every day, those jobs are up more than 27% over the last decade.
And here in Los Angeles, we have two marine terminals that have automated environments. And APMT, AP Moller Terminals over at Pier 400, a subsidiary of Maersk out of Copenhagen, they’re one of the largest employers of dock-worker labor across the West Coast, even though they have a robotics position in place. So we’ve got to make sure that we can keep moving forward. And part of that answer is going to be our development along with the Port of Long Beach and the California State Workforce Development Board to build the nation’s first goods movement training campus.
The idea here is that whether you’re a young person that’s interested in this industry and needs to know how to get in, we’ll have counselors and a storefront to help guide you. If you want to build up your skills in technology, you want to work in an office space, we can provide guidance there too. But if you’re more of my vintage and you see this movement forward with technology and you need to be upskilled and re-skilled, for the next 10 or 15 years of your career, this place is for you.
A mechanic who used to use a wrench to fix equipment now will have to use a computer. Zero emission technology, which we are managing to move forward with here, will be operated in different ways. We need the great skilled workforce to adapt to that as well. And hopefully, we find the workforce and the leaders of tomorrow that we can attract, recruit, and retain into an industry that for many years has flown kind of under the radar, but now lightning has struck twice. Between COVID-19 and all these trade policies that have come to the forefront, it’s our time to sharpen our approach and try to bring more people into this important industry.
April Chapman:
Oh, yeah, it’s very rare that we don’t see supply chain making the top headlines anymore. So it’s become a household discussion. So I love that for our industry, and I’m so impressed our Port of LA is at the cutting edge of a lot of these things and that you’re putting people first in a lot of ways too. I’m sure it’s reassuring for your workforce to hear you talk about these things in this way.
So can you explain the significance of maintaining strong working relationships with carriers, port operators, logistics companies, and shipping partners? I know you’re working with all of them.
Gene Seroka:
Well, it’s interesting because I worked for APL and APL Logistics over 26 years. I served overseas for 11 years and worked on the ground in 50 countries. But coming over to the government side, working for the city of Los Angeles, reporting directly to the mayor in a five-member Harbor Commission, I found that at this port, every decision we make affects someone. Our stakeholder group is so wide-reaching, from the shipping industry to the cruise business, retail, dining, and entertainment right here at the port to community members, faith leaders, business folks across the board. If this port’s doing well, our dry cleaners, our restaurants, our small businesses do well. If this community has strength, so does this port. And it also works in reverse order. When this port is running strong, this community rises to new levels as well.
So it’s been very interesting to work on all of these projects at the port and try to have an understanding, try to have empathy of what the person on the other side of the conversation sees, what outcomes they witness, and how influential they can be in opening our minds to a better way forward.
With the shipping lines, it’s day-to-day construct of how are we going to manage around these trade policies, what economic timelines are in front of us, and how we see the planning horizon. For us in the infrastructure business, we’re making 20- and 30-year decisions. It’s not a transactional business, yet we’re chasing every pound of freight we can, because more cargo means more jobs here at America’s port. For every four containers that come through our port complex, whether it be import or export, we create one job. Very powerful.
1 in 15 working Angelenos today has a job related to this port. One in nine people in Southern California, more than a million, have work that counts on us to do our jobs. So the economic deliverables, the jobs creation, making street where we live, our neighborhood, our city, county, state, and nation stronger is really part of what this port’s mission is.
April Chapman:
You have to look at it at such a macro and a micro level. It’s very interesting. So how do you see companies like APL Logistics helping ensure optimal inventory flows for shippers?
Gene Seroka:
This has been so unique, built on the cornerstone of what we used to call the consolidation business in Asia, has really developed into a sophisticated model of purchase order management. And working with folks, especially in Asia, like Waldo Basilla and so many others, Azfar Khan, who have put together symposiums on supply chain. And I think now they’re into the teens on the number of symposiums they’ve held. Coming up here in November alone, there’ll be another in Shanghai and one in Hong Kong, and I hope to attend both. We’ve developed a real following around knowledge sharing, and it’s not just about the business at hand of moving product, but it’s about how we better develop these relationships and can cater to the requirements of our mutual customers.
I’ve been so proud to be involved, I think, so far in eight symposiums in Asia and Oceania. And then the inaugural one that the company held, Thad kicked it off with a symposium in Newport Beach, California, down in Orange County last year to bring some of our North America mutual customers together. And the reviews have just been tremendous.
We’re also now branching out to bring partners in. CBRE was there at the Orange County symposium, who is a very large industrial and business real estate company with holdings throughout southern California. And that’s been a real anchor to the business value proposition that we deliver. Great companies like APL Logistics that manage the cargo for iconic American brands and those around the world, bringing cargo in to the largest gateway here in the Western Hemisphere, and then utilizing the warehouse distribution, deconsolidation, and fulfillment space that companies like CBRE provide, that’s really a stunning proposition.
April Chapman:
Well, we are so thankful that you’ve participated, and I know many have really appreciated your input, and you’re invaluable. So I have noticed though that you spend a significant amount of time traveling and engaging with various communities. So could you explain the importance of being out there and building those relationships?
Gene Seroka:
Yeah, it still is a relationship-based business, April. And the reason is that there’s so much information, there’s so many ways to do business that relying on each other really has been a cornerstone for decades. And being in this business on the liner shipping side, on the logistics side with APLL, and now in the ports, that doesn’t change. People want to feel comfortable with those they do businesses, they want to be challenged.
Those symposiums are great that we attend and talk about what we’re doing in the industry, but I learned probably more from those cargo owners and service providers that we bring in. So that keeps me sharp with what’s happening in the marketplace.
Most of our shipping lines that we do business with are based in Asia and Europe. So visiting those folks at their headquarters is really important. As is the time we spend with other transportation service providers, as well as those in the intermediary space. The forwarder and broker community is also important.
And as you know, in Asia, there’s a lot of freehand cargo beyond the routing instructions that are given by American importers. So it’s just as important to spend time with the companies and manufacturers in Asia to make sure that we’re maximizing the cargo flow.
April Chapman:
Well, thank you for that. And I’ve watched a lot of your interviews. You’re on all the things. I’ve seen you in all the areas, CNN, NMSNBC, I’ve seen you everywhere. But you know what I don’t get to hear is more about you inwardly. So I want to ask a couple questions about that. So let’s look inward for just a minute. So Gene, you’ve had a phenomenal career, you truly have, with over 35 years in the industry and countless awards. So which one is one of your favorite moments?
Gene Seroka:
It was really interesting because if you look back over this time, there have been some really special moments, as we call it in our industry, the christening of vessels. I can remember the APL Qingdao in that great city in Shandong Province about 25 years ago, the APL Savannah right here in Los Angeles, those were really epic moments.
I had three meetings with the last US sitting president talking about supply chains. From the Roosevelt room to here in Los Angeles, and really talking about what’s going to make the supply chain more competitive here in the U.S. and our companies better for it.
The travel, the work in 50 countries on the ground, it’s hard to really pull out one moment, but I think one of the proudest days I had was in one of our darker hours during COVID-19, and we put together a team called Logistics Victory Los Angeles. We called it Love LA for short. And that name was branded by our own David Libatique who runs our stakeholder engagement bureau. And the idea was this, that it was very difficult for hospitals, doctors, nurses, and staff to get the necessary protective equipment to be able to greet patients and help with diagnosis and get them better. They had a real tough time.
We had a hospital right up the way in Lakewood, California, that was going down to the grocery store to buy garbage bags, trash bags, cut holes out so they could wear them as gowns. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room when we heard this story. And that just really gave us the energy to go out and try to find a way, not just to speed these PPE products, personal protective equipment products to market, but go out and make a market.
And the city gave us the chance through the mayor to be able to set this volunteer group up with about 24 of us city folks, and we went out and started buying N95 masks, gowns, hats, PAPRs, the sleeves that go over your shoes if you’re working in a hospital setting. And we distributed, through the days of COVID, about 12 million units of personal protective equipment to over 250 area hospitals and healthcare facilities. I think that was our proudest moment.
At the same time, California governor, Gavin Newsom, and then mayor, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, helped bring in the US Naval Ship Mercy, an 800-bed floating hospital that docked right here at the Port of Los Angeles over at berth 92. And the idea was to take some pressure off the landside hospitals. So if there were non-COVID-related needs, we would help the patients get to the US Navy Ship Mercy, and the landside hospitals could focus the necessary attention on the COVID epidemic that was happening right before our eyes. So you combine all that with this nearly four decades worth of business experience, that was a very proud time for all of us. And I was so fortunate to be a part of trying to help our neighbor, our community, our fellow human beings.
April Chapman:
I actually remember that. I remember that being in the news that the ship docked and that people could go there. That’s amazing. Thank you for doing that. I mean, you think about, it’s not just your t-shirts that come through the Port of LA, it’s life-saving materials that are coming through there that we need as a society. So thank you for being that frontline. We appreciate it.
All right, last question for you: Speaking of the fact that you said it’s almost four decades, so what is the legacy you want to leave behind for this industry?
Gene Seroka:
Well, I don’t think I’m done yet. In the mortal words of that great American philosopher, Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “It only hurts when I land,” and I don’t plan on landing anytime soon. But to take the Chili Peppers theme, it’s all about just keeping this thing going.
Last week here in Long Beach, California, we had the annual Containerization and Intermodal Institute Awards, the Connies as we call it. And one of my best friends in this industry, George Goldman, another former APL-er, for many, many years, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. That made eight of us from APL and APL Logistics to be recognized by the Connies. And in the room that night, among probably 350 people, there had to be 45 or 50 folks that had worked or are still working for this iconic brand of APL Liner, APL Logistics. And it was just inspiring.
So if we can inspire someone to join our industry, someone to contribute at a higher level, to take a chance at working overseas or right here at home, to me, we’re doing our job of paying it forward. And to exemplify that effort and what we saw from George Goldman, his speech too was enough to really choke you up. His wife, Amy, was there.
And we hired Amy right off the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. And she herself has created an illustrious career with APL Liner, Kirkland’s stores, and now with Gemini Shippers Association. So this whole thing really comes full circle. When you take a look at the people that you’ve worked with over the years, that you’ve partnered with, that you’ve been friends with, now you see their families growing into the business, that’s something that we’ve got to keep going as an industry, keep bringing the best and the brightest together, and it can be just such a rewarding career, not only from the work standpoint, but the great friendships that you make that are lifelong.
April Chapman:
I very much agree with you. Well, Gene, it has been such an honor to have you on the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us.
Gene Seroka:
Well, this has been such a treat, and it feels like I’m back at home with APL Logistics folks that I’ve worked with for so many years and the friendships that we’ve had. Keep doing a great job, April, and we really count on the company and folks like you to keep driving our business.
April Chapman:
Thank you. And thank you to all our listeners. Make sure you share this episode. I know you know someone who would love to hear it. Thank you all. See you next time on APLL Pulse Podcast.
Thanks for joining us today. If you like what you heard or if you have any questions about today’s episode, reach out to us at global_marketing@apllogistics.com. Make sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast apps. You’ll also find us on LinkedIn or visit us at apllogistics.com. We’ll see you next time on the APLL Pulse Podcast.
If you like what you heard or if you have any questions about today’s episode, reach out to us at global_marketing@apllogistics.com. Make sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast apps. You’ll also find us on LinkedIn or visit us @apllogistics.com. We’ll see you next time on the APLL Pulse Podcast.
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