By Matt Tomsic
mtomsic@scbiznews.com
Published March 4, 2013

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The S.C. State Ports Authority and more than 2,000 other attendees have kicked off TPM 2013, an international trade conference for the trans-Pacific and global shipping community.

The Journal of Commerce sponsors the event, which will run from today through Wednesday.

“Our objective at the JOC is for attendees to come away with a firm handle on how 2013 is shaping up and with a refreshed Rolodex packed with opportunity for the year ahead,” according to the publication.

On Monday, attendees will hear a keynote address from the CEO of Maersk before the conference breaks into panels that will explore the container market outlook in 2013, who will benefit from mega-ships, the export market and other topics.

On Tuesday, panelists will discuss lessons learned from the contract negotiations between East and Gulf coast dockworkers and ocean carriers, potential impacts of the federal government and automation at the country’s marine terminals, among other topics.

For live updates throughout the conference, follow @MattToms on Twitter.