SSA and Mitsubishi join in global cargo-port deal. (Stevedoring Services of America)

Already expanding at a meteoritic 25 percent a year, port operator Stevedoring Services of America has' allied with Japan's giant Mitsubishi Corp. to boost its growth even higher.

The two companies will start by jointly developing cargo terminals in Chile and Peru, said Jon Hemingway, SSA president. They also are considering a major joint venture in India.

SSA, one of the state's largest private companies, is already almost without peers in its global cargo-handling operations.

The agreement, signed last week in Tokyo, will bring SSA into regions of the world where it isn't currently active, and both companies will invest in any projects together, he said.

"We're quite excited about the prospect of joining together, and combining our respective networks," Hemingway said.

Ken Tsuji, Seattle-based vice president and general manager of …