Imports Remain at Near Record Levels

The National Retail Federation said this week that imports at the largest U.S. retail container ports are expected to remain at near-record levels but could see a slight dip from last year’s unusually high numbers as congestion slows the movement of backed-up cargo.

“The cargo is there for larger gains at several ports but congestion issues are impacting fluid operations,” said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold.

“Ships will eventually get unloaded but the pressure is on for everyone to work together to get the containers out as quickly as possible.”

The NRF report said the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the loading of U.S.-bound ships, while shortages of equipment, labor and outbound truck and rail capacity continue to cause congestion at U.S. ports.

Nearly 75 ships were waiting to enter the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, up from around 25 a month earlier. The backups have begun spreading to East Coast ports, too.

U.S. ports covered by NRF’s Global Port Tracker handled 2.27 million twenty-foot equivalent units  in August.

That was up 3.5 percent from July and up 7.8 percent compared with the same period in 2020. It also tied March as the second-busiest month since NRF began tracking imports in 2002.

May remains the busiest month on record at 2.33 million TEUs.

Pennsylvania Extends Port Incentive Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has extended its Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program through 2022.

The program seeks to encourage shippers to move cargo through Pennsylvania ports and had been slated to end last month.

The program was established in 2015 and provides up to $1 million annually to participating ocean carriers that move cargo through Pennsylvania ports.

New carriers enrolled in the program receive $25 per new container unit loaded or discharged from vessels at a Pennsylvania port. Existing participants qualify for the incentive payment by exceeding benchmarks.

Over the past five years, more than 1.8 million units of cargo has passed through Pennsylvania ports, resulting in $4.1 million in incentive funds awarded to 10 grantees.

Ports of Indiana Cargo up 5% in 2017

The Ports of Indiana reported this week that in 2017 it handled 11.8 million tons in 2017, a 5 percent increase over 2016 and the second-highest annual shipment total in the organization’s 57-year history.

In a news release, the ports said it was the fourth consecutive year it has handled more than 10 million tons of cargo.

Among the major cargo category increases were minerals, up 28 percent; limestone, up 26 percent; steel, fertilizer and ethanol, each up 14 percent; and coal, up 9 percent.

Shipments of heavy lift and project cargoes, which includes such things as turbines, laboratory equipment and mega storage tanks, increased by 27 percent.

“The arrival of world-class companies like Metro Ports and POSCO Steel in 2017, combined with unprecedented shipping levels at Mount Vernon and the development of major expansions at Jeffersonville and Burns Harbor, have the Ports of Indiana well positioned to help drive long-term future growth of Indiana businesses and our state economy,” said CEO Rich Cooper in a statement.

Jeffersonville Port Handled 2.2M Tons in 2016

During 2016, the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville handled 2.2 million tons of cargo, making it the third consecutive year the port has exceeded 2 million tons of cargo.

In a news release the port said that its annual shipping total was 17 percent higher than the previous five-year average.

Major cargoes handed at the port include steel, grain and fertilizer.

Steel shipments last year in 2016 were the second highest in port history.

There are 14 companies at the port that process or handle steel, aluminum, lubricants or plastics that support the top six automakers in the United States, port officials said.

The port is served by CSX and the Louisville & Indiana Railroad.

Burns Harbor Handled 2.6M Tons in 2016

Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor said this week that it handled 2.6 million tons of cargo last year, making 2016 the port’s third highest tonnage year in the past decade.

In a news release the port said that major cargoes handled included steel, limestone, carbon products, grain and iron ore. Grain shipments soared 57 percent, while coal shipments climbed 11 percent.

The port also reported an increase in heavy-lift cargoes, saying that large-dimensional cargoes rose 25 percent last year.

These included multiple large cranes and containers of crane components from Europe, storage tanks and wind tower components and blades.

During the past year, Ratner Steel Supply Company said it would add 100,000 square feet to load and unload steel shipments at the port. That $8 million investment is expected to be finished in March.

The port said that during 2016 it invested nearly $2.5 million in infrastructure, including dredging and adding stabilization stones to two berths to increase the number of docks capable of handling full Seaway draft vessels.

Other capital improvements included replacing 2,000 feet of rail and rebuilding three switches. The port is served by Norfolk Southern.