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Cargo Trends: Long Beach, St. Lawrence Seaway, Virginia

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September was the second consecutive month of double digit container traffic growth for the Port of Long Beach, with volume up 14.7 percent from a year ago to 587,114 TEUs. Some 23 million metric tons of cargo transited the St. Lawrence Seaway from its opening March 22 through September 30, down 11 percent from a year ago, according to the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The Virginia Port Authority reports September was another month of container traffic growth for its Hampton Roads marine terminals. 

Long Beach Double-Digit Container Traffic Growth Continues During Peak Season

September was the second consecutive month of double digit container traffic growth for the Port of Long Beach, with volume up 14.7 percent from a year ago to 587,114 TEUs. That followed August’s 16 percent jump and gave the port its second busiest month of 2013. Compared to September 2012, inbound loads increased 16.2 percent, outbound loads by 17.2 percent and empty container volumes by 9.4 percent. 

Volume for the calendar year through September totaled more than 5.0 million TEUs, the most for that nine-month period since 2007 and an increase from last year of 13.7 percent. 

For the latest monthly cargo numbers, click here.

St. Lawrence Seaway Provides Seamless Supply Route For U.S. Ports

Some 23 million metric tons of cargo transited the St. Lawrence Seaway from its opening March 22 through September 30, down 11 percent from a year ago, according to the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Some U.S. Great Lakes Seaway System ports, however, are experiencing businesses successes.

"At least a dozen ships from Europe unloaded steel products at the ports of Cleveland, Milwaukee, Burns Harbor and Detroit during the past month; it is a clear sign that the end of the navigation season is approaching and shippers are working diligently to get products out of the mills and into the Seaway System before the end of the year," said Rebecca Spruill, the corporation’s trade development director. "Although overall cargo tonnage is down, September provided many positive signs that the next three months will be extremely busy for our ports and terminal operators in the Great Lakes-System."

In September, the Port of Cleveland moved 66,812 metric tons of general cargo, almost doubling the August volume and more than double the tonnage handled in September 2012, giving the port its best month since November 2006. David S. Gutheil, the port authority’s vice president of maritime and logistics, attributes the increase to "high demand for imported steel by local manufacturers and processors" and "machinery unloaded by our heavy lift crane destined for Pennsylvania."

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor saw a 16 percent increase in total tonnage for the season through September, putting it on pace for its highest annual total in over six years. "Steel and steel-related byproducts continue to drive strong shipment numbers through the port in conjunction with a steady increase in other bulk commodities such as coal, fertilizer and limestone," said Port Director Rick Heimann. "Looking ahead, we expect this trend to continue next month as we already have on the books a shipment of distillery tanks from Germany bound for a brewery expansion in Chicago."

For the past three years, Midwest Energy Resources Company (MERC) terminal in the Port of Duluth/Superior has been exporting coal to Western Europe via the Great Lakes-Seaway System and the St. Lawrence River. MERC has been able to capitalize on the increased demand for U.S. low-sulfur coal in new international markets, seeing growth in exports to the Netherlands and Spain. On September 3 the terminal hosted Canada Steamship Lines’ new 34,490 dwt self-unloading bulk carrier Baie Comeau. 

"We utilize a transshipment facility in Quebec City to take full advantage of this northern marine corridor," said MERC president Fred Shusterich. "In our trade, we are excited about the advent of these new Canadian ships – the high caliber of these state-of-the-art vessels equates to increased efficiency and lower costs for our customers, all of which bodes well for continued export business."

U.S. grain remains a bright spot for the Seaway system, with volume for the season through September up 27 percent to nearly 700,000 tons. Among other cargo categories, declines were reported for iron ore (-18 percent) and coal (-2 percent) and increases for scrap metal (+22 percent) and liquid bulks (+8.6 percent). 

Virginia: Cargo Gains Continue into September 

The Virginia Port Authority reports container throughput at its Hampton Roads terminals totaled 185,185 TEUs in September. That was up 1.8 percent from September 2012, giving the port its 20th consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Throughput for the calendar year through September was up 6.1 percent from a year ago to 1,642,928 TEUs, a record for that nine-month period.

The VPA also reports that September marked the fourth month in 2013 in which rail cargo share of total container cargo exceeded 35 percent. Additionally, the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) post its second-best month with a total of 3,374 containers, up 0.6 percent from last year. 
 

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