6
LouisianaExport Guide
2015-2016
E
conomicdevelopmentwins, new services
andexpandedagreements resulted in re-
corddouble-digit cargogrowth in2014at
thePortofNewOrleans. And theport ison track
for furthergrowth in2015andbeyond.
“Througha lotofhardworkbyyourPort and
with thehelpof LouisianaEconomicDevelop-
ment andmanyofoureconomicdevelopment
partners,we’vewelcomedback long-timecus-
tomers, corporateofficesandnew investment,”
GaryLaGrange, theport’spresident andCEO.
LaGrangecited the returnofChiquita toNew
Orleansaftera40-yearabsence, asahistoricwin
for themaritimecommunity. Chiquitaplans to
shipasmuchas80,000TEUsper year through
NewOrleans–amore than12percent increase
incurrent container volumes. Thiswill createan
estimated300new jobs.
“Webelieve thosenumbers couldgroweven
greateras thenew servicewill undoubtedlyat-
tract additional cargoonanorth-south route,”
LaGrangeadded.
Newweekly services, suchasCMACGM’s
VictoryBridgeService toEurope, and the returnofMaerskLine’s
vesselsalsowill position theport for futuregrowth.
Otherdevelopments includedanagreementwithTCI Plastics,
whichwill enable thecompany to invest$36.5million togrow
itsmega-plasticsdistrict, capturingcargootherwisebound for
out-of-stateexport.
“This is significant for the region’sability toaddvalue to
Louisiana-madeproductsandexport them throughLouisiana
ports,” LaGrange said. “Thenew500,000-square-foot facilitywill
createmore than180 jobs in the region, andcouldaddup to
30,000TEUsannually through theport.”
Thesedevelopmentscomplement strongcargofiguresport-
wide. In thepastyearalone, cargoworkedat theport’spublic
docks in2014 totaled8.37million tons, thehighest total since
2000, andup28percent compared to theprior12-monthperiod.
Imported steel led that growth, as imported ironand steel
rose101.6percent in the12-monthperiod to3.54million tons.
Overall breakbulk tons totaled3.76million tons, up51.7percent
andcontainer tons topped4.61million tons, up13.5percent.
Total port-widecargo,which includesmidstreamoperations,
export grain, andprivate tonnagewithin theport’s three-parish
jurisdictionalso rose27.68percent to31.05million tons.Many
of theport’s topcommodities realizedhealthygainsaswell. Ex-
portpoultrygrewby5.5percent to331,523 tonsand imported
bananasgrewby251percent to72,165 tonsdespiteonlycount-
ing sevenweeksof cargodeliveredbyChiquitaBrandsLLC.
“Business isbustlingandwithprojects set tocomeonline
shortly,we’ll onlygrow fromhere,” LaGrange said.
Efforts toexpand theport’s container terminalmoved forward
in2015. ThenewMississippi River Intermodal Terminalwill
result inamodernandefficient intermodal container transfer
terminal to facilitate themovementofmarineand rail cargo,
whileenhancing safetyand reducing thecarbon footprintof the
regional andnational transportation systems. The total invest-
ment for the12-acreproject is$25.1million,which includes
a$16.7million federal Transportation InvestmentGenerating
EconomicRecovery (TIGER)grant. The intermodal terminalwill
addanestimated200,000TEUsof throughput capacity to the
NapoleonAvenueContainerTerminal. Expectedcompletion
date isFebruaryof2016.
Despite the successes, thePortofNewOrleanswill not rest
easy. “Wemust continue to identify the resources tobuild the in-
frastructureneeded topromoteefficientgrowthand takeevery
opportunity to insert themaritime industry intopublicdiscus-
sion,” LaGrange said. “Improved infrastructureon thedock, on
ourhighwaysand throughoutourwaterwaysare important to
usall.Wemustdriveourmessagehome tobecome theworld-
classhubof international commerceweall knowwecanbe.”
RecordCargoNumbers&EconomicDevelopment
WinsSignal StrongOutlook forPort ofNewOrleans
“Business is bustling andwithprojects
set to come online shortly, we’ll only
grow fromhere.”
