Records & Recognition: Beaumont, Georgia, Hueneme, Mexico, Virginia

The Port of Beaumont was recently recognized by the Railway Industrial Clearance Association as America’s most improved port. The Georgia Ports Authority reported record highs for cargo tonnage, bulk cargo, auto/machinery units and intermodal rail freight moves in the recently ended fiscal year. On the West Coast, the Port of Hueneme also reported records in cargo handling, with metric tonnage up 9.2 percent from the previous year. In the first half of 2013, Mexico’s port system saw an increase of 2.5 percent from a year ago. In Norfolk, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s have affirmed the strength of $274 million in outstanding port facilities revenue bonds issued by the Virginia Port Authority.

The Railway Industrial Clearance Association (RICA) has recognized the Port of Beaumont as America’s most improved port. More than $65 million in capital improvements, including $28 million in rail expansion consisting of a new interchange yard, a new rail loop and other rail infrastructure improvements have recently been completed or are nearing completion at the Port of Beaumont. These improvements will ultimately allow the relocation of the port interchange yard, opening new business opportunities.

"A survey is sent to more than 400 of our members asking them to rank ports across the country, the survey includes a multitude of questions that determines the ratings of ports and railroads," said Kelli Collins, vice president of RICA. "The results of the annual survey determine Carrier of the Year, Most Improved Carrier of the Year, Outstanding Port Award and Most Improved Port Award."

RICA was founded in 1969 and represents all aspects of logistics associated with the movement of dimensional cargo via rail, including class 1 railroads, shippers, regional and short line railroads, riggers, port authorities, expeditors, heavy haul motor carriers, barge and steamship lines, consultants and others.

The Georgia Ports Authority reports cargo tonnage, bulk cargo, auto/machinery units and intermodal rail freight moves hit record highs at its facilities during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. The GPA system consists of the deepwater ports of Brunswick and Savannah and inland river terminals located in Bainbridge and Columbus. In detail, the GPA moved a record-setting 27.23 million tons of cargo across all terminals, for a 2.4 percent increase over FY2012.

Autos and machinery total 636,942 units, an 11.7 percent jump from FY 2012, giving the GPA its second consecutive record year for this cargo category, thanks in part to business from new customers such as Subaru and Toyota. Heavy machinery exports by companies like Caterpillar contributed to a 127,830-ton increase in break bulk volume at the GPA’s Colonel’s Island terminal in Brunswick.

Bulk cargo statewide jumped 61.8 percent, or 964,392 tons, to 2.5 million tons. Biofuels such as wood pellets factored in a 151,896-ton increase at East River Terminal in Brunswick to 663,441 tons.

Container throughput at the Port of Savannah reached 2.94 million TEUs, the port’s second highest fiscal year total ever. Additionally, a record 314,623 containers moved in and out of the port by rail, a 4,600-container increase from the previous record year, FY2012.

The Port of Hueneme reports handling a record 1,438,596 metric tons of cargo during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. That was up 9.2 percent from FY 2011-2012 and beat by 2.8 percent the port’s previous record, 1,399,670 tons, set in FY 2005-2006.

Auto imports jumped 12.2 percent, thanks in part to gains by Hyundai and Kia. Exports also grew, by 1.2 percent, driven by shipments to Asia of autos manufactured in the United States by foreign companies such as Honda and Toyota. The one millionth U.S.-manufactured Honda was exported through Hueneme last December.

BMW imports skyrocketed 35 percent, and "the same trend," according to Al Cardona, National VDC Manager at BMW, "is expected to continue for the remainder of the year."

Agricultural and construction equipment also contributed to the port’s strong FY 2013 performance, with year-on-year increases of 6.8 percent for imports and 6.4 percent for exports. Cargo interests include John Deere, New Holland, Case International, Hyster, Caterpillar and Volvo.

With respect to its fruit trade, the port reports banana imports grew 5.7 percent, from 615,588 to 650,608 tons, while other fresh fruit and vegetable cargo doubled to more than 12,000 tons. Liquid fertilizer imports reached a record high for the second consecutive year, jumping 24 percent from FY 2012 to 167,253 metric tons in response to growing demand of the region’s agricultural industry. Shallow draft cargo (fish, lube oil and vessel fuel) increased 6.6 percent for the year.

"This year’s cargo performance sets a significant new milestone for the port, a record driven by our customers and business development teams," said Hueneme Port Director Kristin Decas. "We commit to continued partnerships and strategic planning to maximize the social and economic benefit the Port brings to our community and industries served."

Mexico’s port system processed nearly 140.3 million metric tons of cargo during first half 2013, an increase of 2.5 percent from a year ago, according to "preliminary" data compiled and reported by the federal port agency, Coordinación General de Puertos y Marina Mercante. Imports accounted for 40.7 million tons (-3.4 percent), exports for 63.9 million tons (+6.7 percent) and domestically traded cargo for 35.6 million tons (+0.3 percent).

The first half was marked by strongly positive performances by bulk minerals and auto traffic, smaller gains for containerized and breakbulk cargo, and declines for agribulks and petroleum. Mexico’s cruise industry incurred year-on-year declines in passengers and vessel arrivals, particularly on the Pacific Coast. Click here for further detail.

Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s have affirmed the strength of $274 million in outstanding port facilities revenue bonds sold by the Virginia Port Authority and given a "stable" outlook in their ratings of the bonds.

Following its review of VPA’s overall financial plans, Moody’s revised upward its assessment of the bonds to "stable" from its 2012 finding of "negative." The agency assigned the bonds an Aa3 – the fourth highest of 21 ratings.

"The stable outlook on VPA’s port facilities revenue bonds is based on Moody's assumption that VPA will be able to maintain its competitive position among East Coast container ports with low-to-mid single-digit container volume growth and no revenue bond debt issuance in the near-term to fund capital improvements," the Moody’s report said. "The outlook also incorporates Moody's view that VPA management will prudently handle the VIT governance transition and the port's operations going forward."