Port Traffic Metrics: United States, Indiana, Georgia, Prince Rupert, South Jersey

U.S. Waterborne Trade 2014: Record Exports, Gains for Imports and Domestic Trades

America’s waterborne commerce increased in 2014, up 3.1 percent from the year before to a three-year high of 2.35 billion short tons, according to data compiled and reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. That figure includes foreign (i.e., import/export) trade as well as cargo shipped domestically between and within  coastal, Great Lakes, non-contiguous, and inland waterway ports of the United States.

Exports set a record for the fifth year in a row with a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent to 647.8 million tons. Imports rose for the first time since 2010, up 0.3 percent to 760.9 million tons. Domestic cargo, too, ended the year on a positive note, with coastwise, Great Lakes and inland waterway commerce posting gains from 2013 of 4.3 percent, 3.0 percent, and 5.8 percent, respectively.

As shown in Attachment A, long term, the trend remained positive for foreign trade thanks to the export sector and marginal for the domestic trades.

Based on total tonnage, the top U.S. ports in 2014 were South Louisiana, Houston, New York/New Jersey, Beaumont and Long Beach. South Louisiana also ranked first in domestic cargo, while Houston led the nation in foreign trade. Duluth/Superior stood first among U.S. Great Lakes ports. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky on the Ohio River was the leading shallow-draft inland waterway port. Attachment B presents the top 50 port rankings based on domestic, foreign and total cargo tonnage.

Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville Breaks Annual Shipping Record

The Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville handled 2.8 million tons of cargo in 2015. That was up 16 percent from 2014 and gave the port its second successive record tonnage year.

Jeffersonville is located on the Ohio River directly across from Louisville (KY) and is one of three public ports owned and managed by the state port authority, Ports of Indiana, from its headquarters in Indianapolis.
Steel shipments at Jeffersonville more than doubled the previous record, set in 2014, helped in part by rising demand in the U.S. auto industry. Grain tonnage was the second highest in the port’s history.

The port’s 30 tenant companies ship or receive cargo from all 50 states and 12 countries. Its 'steel campus' includes 12 metal processing companies serving the automotive, appliance and construction industries.
During 2015, the port handled approximately 1,300 barges, 17,000 rail cars and 180,000 trucks. Shipments of fertilizer, oils and minerals also exceeded 2014 levels.

Additional 2015 highlights for the port included the award of a $10 million TIGER Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation which will partially fund a $17 million intermodal project and breaking ground on a $30 million transportation corridor that will link the port to the River Ridge Commerce Center's 6,000-acre industrial park.

"The first driver of the port's success is its ideal location on the Ohio River in metro Louisville," said Port Director Scott Stewart. "The second driver is an unrelenting commitment by our port companies to business development and continuous improvement in producing parts and products of the highest quality. This is why our port is able to efficiently ship grain and fertilizer destined for regional and world markets and deliver steel and aluminum components as well as motor oils that America's top six automakers count on."

Aerial perspective of the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville
Photo/Ports of Indiana

Georgia: Container TEUs, Cargo Tonnage Hit Record Highs in 2015

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved record container volumes in 2015, Executive Director Curtis Foltz reported to the GPA board at its January 25 meeting.

The calendar year count at the Port of Savannah of 3.73 million TEUs beat the previous record, set in 2014, by 391,356 TEUs, or 11.7 percent.

"The expansion was fueled in part," said Mr. Foltz, "by heightened demand in the U.S. Southeast, Savannah's logistical advantages drawing new customers to Georgia, and cargo diverted from the West Coast."

Cargo movements across GPA terminals statewide reached a record 31.5 million short tons in CY2015, an increase of 1.1 million tons, or 3.6 percent. Container tonnage accounted for most of that growth, up 991,031 tons, or 4 percent, to 25.8 million tons. Bulks totaled 2.9 million tons (+2.2 percent) and breakbulk 2.8 million tons (+1.7 percent).

At that same meeting, the board approved the purchase of four new ship-to-shore cranes for its Garden City Terminal, the Port of Savannah, bringing the total number to 30.

Currently served by 22 ship-to-shore cranes, Garden City Terminal will add four cranes this year as previously purchased machines are put into service. The cranes purchased approved at the January 25 meeting will arrive in the late spring of 2018. The board's Focus 2026 Capital Plan calls for 34 ship-to-shore cranes at Garden City Terminal.

Designed by a Finnish company and manufactured in China, the new cranes will be able to reach across vessels 22 containers wide and lift cargo weighing up to 72 tons to a height of 152 feet above the dock. Each crane will weigh 1,388 tons and measure 433 feet wide and 185 feet tall.

In other business, the board approved $8.2 million for Phase III of construction of a new empty container depot.
"Georgia's deepwater ports achieved an outstanding year in 2015 with the hard work of our employees and partners in labor, shipping, trucking and rail," said GPA Board Chairman James Walters. "By adding a truck gate, container yard space, container handling equipment and ship-to-shore cranes, the GPA is maintaining capacity ahead of demand to ensure efficient cargo movement."

Prince Rupert 2015 Cargo Performance Sustained by 26% Jump in Container Volume

A surge in container volumes and the continued success of grain and wood pellet terminals at the Port of Prince Rupert helped stabilize overall 2015 results in the wake of declining coal volumes and international commodity markets.

Traffic through Fairview Container Terminal jumped 26 percent, to 776,414 TEUs from 618,167 in 2014. Last year also saw significant progress made on the Phase II North expansion project at the terminal, which will boost throughput capacity by 500,000 TEUs when completed in 2017.

Shipments of steel-making metallurgical coal through Ridley Terminals fell 60 percent from 2014, resulting in a six-year low for bulk energy shipments through the port. This was offset by another strong year for prairie crops like wheat and canola through Prince Rupert Grain, contributing to the second-best year on record for agri-food exports with 6.4 million tons shipped.

Westview Terminal continued to support the production and shipment of wood pellets from across northern British Columbia in 2015 with a 44 percent surge in volume. The biofuel export terminal also set what the port claims is a world record in June 2015 by loading the single largest shipment of wood pellets.

"The 2015 cargo volumes achieved by our dedicated port workforce demonstrate the importance of cargo diversification, given the dramatic change in market conditions for Canadian trade," said Port Authority President Don Krusel. "While down marginally from last year’s total volume, 2015 was historically the fourth best year on record, and signifies the port’s ability to weather commodity cycles and capitalize on opportunities for expansion and new development."

View monthly performance statistics and annual comparisons.

South Jersey Port Reports Increased Cargo Activity for 2015

The South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) reports handling cargo totaling 2,525,562 short tons, a 12 percent increase from 2014 and the third consecutive year of double-digit growth for its marine terminals in Camden and Salem, New Jersey.

Breakbulk cargos, including steel, calcium chloride, cocoa beans, fruit and wood products, accounted for 1,093,003 tons, about the same as 2014. Steel imports, the port’s top cargo, accounted for 832,153 tons, just 8 percent short of the record 900,000 tons handled in 2014.

Calcium chloride handled in super sacks jumped 60 percent to 47,867 tons. Packed in 50-pound bags, the consumer ready product is in great demand during Mid-Atlantic winters.

Import fruit returned to Broadway Terminal’s Pier 5 during November and December, with five ship calls carrying 9,990 tons. Other breakbulk cargos: wood products, 160,255 tons (+48 percent) and cocoa beans, 41,344 tons (-37 percent).

Dry bulk cargo jumped 24 percent to 1,432,545 tons. That included: recycled metal exports - 525,221 tons (+1 percent); cement imports – 355,184 tons (-4 percent); and Gramcem® exports 105,162 (-4 percent). Other bulks -- including road salt, sand, urea, pumice and gypsum -- filled out the remainder of the activity.

During 2015, the SJPC’s marine terminals handled 206 ships compared to 157 in 2014. The number of ship days (i.e. the number of days a ship is loading or unloading at its terminals) increased 82 percent, to 543 from 462.
"We had another good year of growth reflecting both a trend of cargo growth and confidence in the regional and global economies," said Kevin Castagnola, the port corporation’s chief executive officer and executive.

The South Jersey Port Corporation, an agency of the state of New Jersey, owns, operates and manages the Balzano Marine Terminal and the Broadway Terminal in Camden and the Salem Marine Terminal in Salem and is developing a new facility, the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, in Paulsboro. It also is the grantee for Foreign Trade Zone #142.