Seafarers are those maritime professionals who have helped open up and now keep our international trade routes moving and global economies connected. U.S. Borax ships our products around the world by sea from our Wilmington operations—through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
A truly global trade
Steeped in history, seafaring remains a role requiring the highest camaraderie. There are 50,000+ vessels worldwide, traversing the world's remotest locations and docking at the busiest ports to deliver more than 80% of global trade. Typically, a crew of 22 seafarers works 12-hour shifts during a 6 month contract onboard a vessel.
Wilmington’s role
Our Wilmington operation is the only privately owned facility in the Port of Los Angeles. Located at berths 165-166, Wilmington includes a wharf with a ship loading system as well as rail, truck, and container loading docks.
During the course of a typical year, more than 36,000 tons of packaged goods are produced and shipped from this site. And, approximately 200,000 tons of bulk material are shipped to customers in Europe and Asia.
Safety and integrity come first
Rio Tinto, U.S. Borax’s parent company, abides by the Maritime Labour Convention and is a foundational signatory of the Global Maritime Forum's (GMF) Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, which is a collaborative, industry-led response to address the unintended challenges posed to crew welfare by COVID-19 restrictions.
We do not use "no crew change clauses" and the 17 Rio Tinto owned vessels perform safe crew changes where no crew member is required to work outside of their contracted period. Crews and their families on our owned vessels are also supported through a range of measures. And, all of the contract vessels we use go through an in-depth vetting process to comply with all Rio Tinto standards, including safety, sustainability, and social responsibility practices.
Within Rio Tinto’s commercial logistics group, our marine logistics team manages shipments from our ports as well as contracts with outside carriers. The marine logistics team diligently works behind the scenes with our global customer service representatives to ensure product arrives safely and securely.
On June 25, we recognize and celebrate all of our seafarers for their invaluable contributions to our international business.
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