In celebration of World Trade Week, the...

In celebration of World Trade Week, the Port of Los Angeles today is providing free boat tours to the public in a bid to focus attention on international trade and its impact on the Southland’s economy.

The hourlong narrated tours will wend their way through the 7,000-acre Port of Los Angeles to give people a chance to see how the port operates. People taking the tours will see the loading and unloading of cargo carriers, passengers boarding cruise ships and other vessels steaming into or out of port.

The Port of Los Angeles handles the most cargo tonnage in the nation, and it is the West Coast leader in passenger services and auto imports.

The boat tours will begin at 10 a.m. and depart every half-hour from Berth 84 next to the Maritime Museum, at the foot of 6th Street in San Pedro. Tours also will begin at 11 a.m. and depart every hour from Berth 185 next to Banning’s Landing, at the end of Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington. The last tours will depart at 4 p.m. Organizers expect about 3,000 participants.

About 30 other events celebrating World Trade Week will take place throughout the month, including speeches, seminars, social activities and educational programs. The events are aimed at enhancing public awareness and stimulating increased world trade activity among Southern California businesses. Key events will cover changes in the world marketplace, export financing, and international marketing and distribution.

Along with the Port of Los Angeles, Southern California’s 67th annual World Trade Week is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Department of Airports, the Port of Long Beach, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., and Southern Pacific Transportation Co., as well as a number of other companies and organizations. For more information about the tours, call (310) 519-3508 or (800) 831-PORT.