In 2010, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council released two separate reports on logistics in the Buffalo Niagara region – one highlighting freight flow, the other infrastructure. Both suggested room for regional economic growth through the promotion of the region as a logistics center, specifically to support freight coming into the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) destined for the Midwest and Ontario.

A working group was created to begin to implement the actions recommended in the reports, which eventually grew into the Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO). The early work of this working group was to begin to build relationships with PANYNJ to create a meaningful collaboration.

Those discussions led to the 2014 signing of memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) between ITGO and PANYNJ, in which the Buffalo Niagara region was designated a “Strategic International Gateway” to PANYNJ, paving the way for exploration of greater collaboration opportunities in the effort to promote and increase freight flow between the Port and Buffalo Niagara.

The MOU laid the groundwork for the following activities:In 2010, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council released two separate reports on logistics in the Buffalo Niagara region – one highlighting freight flow, the other infrastructure. Both suggested room for regional economic growth through the promotion of the region as a logistics center, specifically to support freight coming into the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) destined for the Midwest and Ontario.

A working group was created to begin to implement the actions recommended in the reports, which eventually grew into the Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO). The early work of this working group was to begin to build relationships with PANYNJ to create a meaningful collaboration.

Those discussions led to the 2014 signing of memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) between ITGO and PANYNJ, in which the Buffalo Niagara region was designated a “Strategic International Gateway” to PANYNJ, paving the way for exploration of greater collaboration opportunities in the effort to promote and increase freight flow between the Port and Buffalo Niagara.

The MOU laid the groundwork for the following activities:
 

1. Joint marketing and messaging to customers, stakeholders and ocean carriers
2. Sharing of data to improve services and identify opportunities
3. Collaboration on freight movement strategy between PANYNJ and the Buffalo Niagara region

The timing of this MOU was significant, as PANYNJ was in the midst of preparations to allow the larger, “neo-Panamax” ships to call, made possible by the $XXX million raising of the Bayonne Bridge, which was completed in June, 2017. These massive ships, carrying as much as 3x the number of containers as before, have created opportunity to move more freight inland to alleviate congestion at the Port.

ITGO continues to work closely with PANYNJ to provide solutions for speed-to-market, cost savings and reliability for shippers.