A newly-signed agreement between officials representing the ports of Los Angeles, Auckland, New Zealand and Guangzhou, China calls for greater cooperation between leaders there.

The agreement calls for managers of the three ports to share information related to best practices in port management, communicate with other on matters related to investments, technology and environmental policy as well develop strategies in which activities at each port can be best-suited to the respective region’s economic characteristics.

“The Port of Los Angeles looks forward to collaborating with the ports of Auckland and Guangzhou on a series of initiatives, including promoting commercial and business opportunities as well as sharing innovative best practices,” Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners President Vilma Martinez said in a statement.

The deal to create a so-called Tripartite Ports Alliance between port officials for the three cities was signed Thursday at a summit, which was scheduled to continue Friday in Los Angeles. The meeting followed Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s November 2014 trade mission to Asia, in which he signed a deal with his counterparts in Guangzhou and Auckland, calling for greater economic cooperation.

Guangzhou is a major city in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China. The World Shipping Council ranked Guangzhou Harbor as the planet’s eighth-busiest seaport, in terms of 2013 container volumes. If volumes from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach had been combined in the data, the twin Southern California ports would have claimed ninth place.

Auckland is home to New Zealand’s largest seaport. New Zealand and China have had a free trade agreement in place between their two countries since 2008.