Philadelphia – Double-Digit Cargo Growth for Third Consecutive Year

The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) reports cargo volume at its maritime facilities jumped 10.4 percent in 2012, to 4,418,674 metric tons from 4,001,759 tons in 2011. It was the third consecutive year of double-digit gains for the PRPA, where cargo has grown by more than 30 percent since 2009.

Statistical highlights of 2012 include increases of 21 percent for steel (to 197,854 tons), 21 percent for project cargo (to 47,457 tons), and sugar, a brand new cargo for Philadelphia in 2012, which weighed in at 24,331 tons.

Automobiles, specifically new Hyundai and Kia cars from South Korea, continue to be a big success story for Philadelphia since they began arriving here in 2010. Imports in 2012 accounted for 192,918 tons, or 143,258 auto units, up 10.5 percent from 174,978 tons and 127,406 units in 2011. At Philadelphia, auto cargoes are unloaded by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association and processed for eventual shipment inland by Teamsters. 

Liquid bulk cargoes at the port’s Kinder Morgan facility skyrocketed 65.6 percent to 1,227,095 tons from 740,890 tons in 2011.

Containerized cargo remained essentially unchanged at 2,003,909 tons, but port customer Hamburg Süd experienced a 46 percent surge to 108,379 units.  

“The fact that the Port of Philadelphia’s 2012 cargo statistics again show healthy gains in overall tonnage is very exciting,” said PRPA Executive Director James McDermott. “It’s exciting because we’re currently working to deepen our main shipping channel to 45 feet and build Southport, the first major marine terminal at the Port of Philadelphia in decades. With continuous cargo gains being seen before these projects are even completed, we truly look forward to the day in the near future when deeper water and more facilities are added to our cargo-building arsenal.”

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