Hyundai Starts Work On Tacoma Terminal

Ground has been broken for a new Port of Tacoma terminal that will be home to Hyundai Merchant Marine Ltd. when it opens early in 1999.

It’s still unclear, however, whether the South Korean shipping line will move all of its business from Seattle to the new $65 million West Blair Terminal here.

“That is under negotiation,” K.S. Pahk, Hyundai’s West Coast executive vice president, said at the groundbreaking Wednesday. “I’m not sure yet.”

The uncertainty stems from an agreement last month in which Hyundai, American President Line and several other shippers formed what is called the Global Alliance.

Under the agreement, each company’s cargo containers can move on ships of all the lines. The contracts also may require some joint use of terminal facilities, and APL has just opened a new terminal in Seattle.