8
LouisianaExport Guide
2015-2016
L
ast year, about$7.5billionworthof goodswereexported
from theBatonRouge region, up fromabout$6.2billion
in2013, according to theU.S.DepartmentofCommerce.
That’sa20.2% increase, rankingBatonRougeNo. 42among the
largest exportmarkets in thenation.
Chemicalsmakeupmore thanhalfof thearea’sexports, and
bigexpansionsbycompanies suchasDow, BASF, andShintech
likelyareadding toexports from thePortofGreaterBaton
Rouge, say local economists.
Butotherobserverspoint towhat they say is reallydriving the
increase:Grain. In the fall of2013, LouisDreyfusCommodities
cut the ribbonona$150million renovationandexpansionof a
grainandoilseedelevatorat theport.Not coincidentally, grain
exported from theport increased from577,600 tons in2013 to
4.1million tons in2014, according toportofficials.
Asa result, cargoworkedat thePortofGreaterBatonRouge’s
publicdocks in2014more thandoubledcompared to2013,
from4.2million tons to9.2million tons. Portofficials saygen-
eral cargonumbers typicallyonly represent10 to15percentof
port activity, anddon’t includedata fromprivatedocksowned
bycompanies suchasExxonMobil andBASF.
In fact federal tradedatamayactuallyunderplay the impact.
TheBrookings Institutionvaluesexports from theBatonRouge
metroareaat$18.3billion,more thandouble the total reported
by theDepartmentofCommerce.However, theBrookings study
differs frommost exportdatabases, in that itmeasuresboth
goodsand services, and itderives itsestimatesbyproduction
location rather than shipping location.
But regardlessofwhich setofnumbersyouuse, the trend line
is slopingup.Overall, Louisianahas continued tobreak records,
growingexports to$63.24billion in2013and$64.81billion
in2014, according tonumbers from theU.S. CensusBureau
ForeignTradeDivision.
LouisDreyfusCommodities, forexample, spent$150million
to renovateandexpandagrainandoilseedelevatorat theport.
Asa result, grainexports increased to4.1million tons in2014.
So if thearea’s chemical expansioncontinues, BatonRouge’s
export economy is likely tokeepgrowing.Meanwhile, at the
PortofGreaterBatonRouge,morenewprojectsarepoised to
add to the totals.
BatonRougeTransit, a subsidiaryofDraxGroup, recently
began shippingwoodpelletsoutofnewlybuilt storagedomes
at theport,which shouldprovideanotherboost in tonnageand
export value for theport going forward.
Othernew investments toutedbyportofficials include:
• Rail improvements: Constructionbegan last summerona
$2.5millionproject to improve rail access to the InlandRivers
MarineTerminal. Theport receiveda$1milliongrant from
theU.S. EconomicDevelopmentAdministration for the
rail upgrades.
• GenesisEnergy: Last year, theHouston-basedcompany says
a$150millionoil storageand import/export terminalwill
beoperational by theendof thisyear.OnceGenesis’ Baton
Rouge subsidiarybegins storingandexportingoil toother
bulk terminals, portofficialsexpect that33millionbarrelsof
crudeoil andotherpetroleumproductswill be run through
the terminal annually, generatingup to$2million inannual
revenue to theport.
•General cargodock ship fender rehabilitation: The statehas
approveda$5.1millionproject toupgrade thedock fender
systemat thedeepwater terminal, inhopesof ensuring
adequateand safeberthing for ships callingat thegeneral
cargodocks. Sowhile2014wasagoodyear for theLouisiana
capital region’sport, 2015andbeyondcouldbeevenbetter.
Formore information, please contact JayHardman, P.E.,
ExecutiveDirector, Port ofGreater BatonRouge, P.O. Box380,
Port Allen, LA70767•Tel: 225-342-1660•
ExportsAreUpandStillClimbingat the
Port ofGreaterBatonRouge
