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Port History News

24 Jan 2023

Montrose Port Takes Delivery of its First Newbuild Pilot Boat

South Esk is the Montrose Port Authority's first ever newly built pilot boat. (Photo: Montrose Port Authority)

Montrose Port Authority at the end of 2022 welcomed into service its first ever purpose-built pilot boat, South Esk.The new £800,000 vessel was constructed by Safehaven Marine, in Youghal, Ireland and completed its sea trials at the Port of Cork before making its way to Montrose by traveling across the Irish Sea to Oban, around the top of Scotland and down the East coast.The Interceptor 48 model launch is the first newbuild pilot boat in Montrose’s 200-year trust port history…

17 Jul 2019

SC Ports Reports Record Cargo Volumes

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) reported another successful year, handling record cargo volumes, rail moves and inland port activity in fiscal year 2019.SPCA, which owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston and Georgetown, as well as Inland Ports in Greer, South Carolina and Dillon, South Carolina, handled nearly 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) from July 2018 through June 30, an 8.8% increase in annual TEU container volume.SCPA moved 200,406 TEUs across the  Wando Welchopens in a new window and North Charlestonopens in a new window container terminals last month.As measured by the total number of boxes handled…

11 Jul 2019

SC Ports Reports Record Cargo Volumes

Image: South Carolina Ports Authority

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) handled record cargo volumes at the Port of Charleston in fiscal year 2019.SCPA handled nearly 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) from July 2018 through June, an 8.8% increase in annual TEU container volume.SCPA moved 200,406 TEUs across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals last month. As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 112,988 pier containers in June for a total of 1.36 million pier containers annually…

20 Jun 2019

Port of Oakland: More Cargo on Bigger Ships

Photo: Port of Oakland

Bigger ships are challenging the Port of Oakland with never-seen-before container volumes. The Port said today that vessels on average load and unload the equivalent of 1,767 20-foot boxes each time they visit here. It’s the highest container move count in Port history, up 9 percent from 2018 and 50 percent over 2009.The Port said higher move counts result from shipping lines consolidating more cargo on bigger ships. It added that bigger loads test the Port’s cargo-handling capacity…

29 Oct 2018

SC Ports State of the Port Emphasizes Infrastructure to Support Growth

Jim Newsome, president and CEO, highlights cooperation and collaboration.South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) president and CEO, Jim Newsome, presented the annual State of the Port to an audience of approximately 600 customers, elected officials and shipping industry representatives at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Jim’s presentation focused on the Port’s successes, strategic infrastructure investments to support continued container volume growth, new initiatives to increase Port productivity and overall industry trends that will impact the Port in the future. The Propeller Club of Charleston hosted the event which marked Newsome’s tenth address since joining SCPA in 2009.SC Ports volumes for the 2018 fiscal year, which ran July 2017 through June 2018, were record-breaking.

19 Aug 2018

Port of Everett Begins Wharf Modernization Project

The Port of Everett hosted a groundbreaking to commemorate the start of construction on the Port’s South Terminal Modernization project – the largest capital project in Port history by dollar value, and the largest maritime construction project on the West Coast.The $36 million South Terminal Modernization project will ensure the Port’s facilities are ready to support the next generation of over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts for the new 777X.“I find it fitting that as we celebrate the Port of Everett’s centennial year in 2018, we continue to be forward-thinking, preparing the Port’s infrastructure to carry us into our next 100 years,” said Glen Bachman, Port of Everett Commission President.

08 Mar 2018

Indiana's Burns Harbor Plans for More Growth

Photo: Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor completed a landmark year in 2017 and is poised for significant future growth as a result of several historic developments. In addition to handling an 8 percent increase in cargo shipments in 2017, the port doubled the size of its bulk terminal, attracted a nationally-renowned stevedore in Metro Ports, handled its most valuable cargo ever, and announced a $20 million expansion made possible by earning one of only 10 "FASTLANE" small project grants awarded in the U.S. last year.

20 Feb 2018

Ports of Indiana: Building on Success

(Photo: Ports of Indiana)

The Ports of Indiana is a statewide port authority, established in 1963, which operates three ports: two on the Ohio River, one on Lake Michigan. Port officials refer to the three as “America’s Premier Inland Port System.” They cite location, location, location, providing access via two critical freight arteries – the Great Lakes and the Inland Waterway System and proximity to the world’s most productive industrial and agricultural regions. The Ports is the only statewide port authority in the Midwest.

14 Feb 2018

Port of Los Angeles Moves 808,728 TEUs in January

Last  month was the second busiest in the Port's history. The Port of Los Angeles handled 808,728 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in January 2018, the second-busiest January in the port’s history behind last January’s record of 826,640 TEUs. While a slight decrease compared to last January’s record, it’s significantly higher than the port’s most recent 5-year January average of 683,003 TEUs. "After two consecutive years of record-breaking cargo, it’s encouraging to start 2018 with robust volumes,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. Strong January volumes are due in part to retail stores replenishing inventories after the holidays, and cargo ships calling ahead of the Lunar New Year, when goods from Asia slow down considerably.

10 Oct 2017

Corpus Christi: Energy Port of the Americas

(Image Courtesy Port of Corpus Christi)

The Port of Corpus Christi lives up to its moniker ‘Energy Port of the Americas,’ as the movement of energy in and out dominates the port’s history and future. John P. LaRue, Executive Director, Port Corpus Christi recently visited Maritime Reporter’s headquarters in New York to discuss the nearly $50 billion in investment projects driving the port forward. “Let’s just start with what we are and what we are not,” said LaRue. “We are not a container port. Up until a few years ago we were an oil import port (serving) three refineries: Citgo, Valero and Flint Hills Resources.

09 Oct 2017

Port of Oakland Import Volume Jumps 12.6 %

New statistics out today show that containerized import volume at the Port of Oakland increased 12.6 percent last month. The Port reported that it handled the equivalent of 79,135 20-foot import containers. A search of records indicates that it was the largest September import volume in the Port’s history. “This is the peak season for container shipping, when we expect higher import volumes ahead of the year-end holidays,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. According to Port data, last month’s import surge topped the previous September record of 77,071 containers. That was set back in 2006. The Port said that import volume is up 4.1 percent year-to-date compared to 2016. It added that the higher volume reflects increased spending by U.S. consumers on overseas goods.

17 Jul 2017

Port of LA Sets FY Cargo Volume Record

File photo: Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles reports it has closed its 12-month fiscal year with total cargo volumes of 9.2 million twenty-foot units (TEUs), a new annual record for most container throughput for a Western Hemisphere port. Volumes increased 8.1 percent in June compared to the same period last year, marking the second busiest June in the port’s 110-year history. “As we mark the midpoint of 2017, we are grateful to our terminal operators, shipping lines, labor force and land-side supply chain stakeholders for their focus on teamwork and efficiency…

13 Apr 2017

First Ocean Vessel of 2017 Arrives at Port of Indiana

Photo: Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor

The first ocean vessel of the year arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor marking the official opening of the international shipping season. Port officials welcomed the 413-foot general cargo carrier BBC Mont Blanc and presented the captain with the Ports of Indiana Steel Stein. "The arrival of the first ocean ship of the new year is an exciting time not only for our port, but also for our port companies and numerous other regional businesses that rely on the cargoes these vessels carry," said Port Director Ian Hirt. "For northwest Indiana, the opening of the St.

22 Feb 2017

Indiana Ports set Quarterly Tonnage Record

The Ports of Indiana handled nearly 3.9 million tons of cargo during the fourth quarter of 2016, the highest quarterly shipment total in the organization's 55-year history. The total surpassed the ports' previous quarterly record set in the second quarter of 2015 by 300,000 tons. The state's three ports' shipped nearly 11.3 million tons in 2016, the second highest volume in history and the third consecutive year the ports exceeded 10 million tons annually. Since 2014, the Ports of Indiana has handled 34 million tons of cargo, the highest three-year total since Indiana's ports opened. Major cargoes included coal, steel, grain, fertilizer and limestone.

12 Jan 2017

Virginia Port Hits Record Volume at 65 mi TEUs

The Port of Virginia set a new annual record for container cargo volume having handled more than 2.65 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, a 4.2 percent increase over last year’s total. In 2016, import and export volumes were up 6 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, over the prior year. The port saw increases in TEUs, rail volume and total volume at Virginia Inland Port, the port’s growing intermodal ramp located in Front Royal. Further, Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) had its most productive year since The Port of Virginia began leasing the facility in 2010. “In 2016, we moved 106,000 more TEUs than we did in 2015, which until now, was our highest volume year on record,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.

16 Nov 2016

Virginia Port, Konecranes Ink Largest ASC Deal

Governor Terry R. McAuliffe announced that The Port of Virginia will finalize the $217 million contract with Konecranes for that company to build and deliver 86 specialized cranes that will be at the center of the port’s expansion projects at Virginia International Gateway (VIG) and Norfolk International Terminals (NIT). The contract is the largest one-time order for automated stacking cranes (ASCs) in industry history. “The work on making The Port of Virginia the US East Coast’s leading gateway for world trade is truly underway,” McAuliffe said. At today’s regularly-scheduled meeting, the Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners ratified the deal with Konecranes.

14 Sep 2016

Virginia Port handles Record Volume

The Port of Virginia rewrote its record books once again, having handled 235,511 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in August, making it the single busiest month in the port’s history. In comparison with last August, TEU volumes are up 7 percent; rail units up 20 percent and truck volume up .4 percent; and volume at Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) is up 33 percent. Moreover, October marks the seventh consecutive month of TEU volumes exceeding 210,000 units. The peak-season cargo is moving and those volumes are putting the port on pace to exceed last year’s total of 2.5 million TEUs, said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.

09 Sep 2016

Virginia Port Turns a Profit Again

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that The Port of Virginia’s preliminary unaudited reports for fiscal year 2016 indicate that it will post an annual operating income of $4.76 million, the second year in a row that the port completed its fiscal year with profitability. “The Port of Virginia’s performance is meeting and exceeding the expectations of my administration,” said Gov. McAuliffe. “This financial turnaround is proof that the port’s wise investments in capital projects and people, which are being made in support of a plan for sustainable growth, are yielding very positive results, in terms of reputation abroad, delivery of service, performance at the piers and an increasingly stable financial picture.

14 Aug 2016

Port of Long Beach Cargo Dips

Container volume at the Port of Long Beach was down 7.7 percent in July compared to the same month in 2015, when harbor terminals handled a record amount of cargo. Dockworkers moved 637,091 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) last month. Imports totaled 325,608 containers, a 5.9 percent year-over-year decrease. Exports numbered 142,812 TEUs, a slight drop of 0.7 percent. Empties decreased to 168,671, 15.9 percent lower than July 2015, the Port’s strongest July on record. Due to continued market uncertainty and high inventory levels, the traditional holiday peak season is off to a slow start and several national forecasts have been revised downward to reflect this softness in cargo movement.

01 Jun 2016

Port of New Orleans Reports Cargo Surge

Photo: Port of New Orleans

More containers moved through the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal at the Port of New Orleans in March and April 2016 than in any two months in the port’s history. According to figures released this week, 50,974 twenty-foot-equivalent units moved through the Terminal in April, besting the previous monthly record of 48,594 TEUs in March of 2016. The two-month total of 99,568 TEUs is up 6.1 percent, compared to same two months in 2015. Surging container volumes come on the heels of higher overall cargo volumes in 2015.

28 Jan 2016

Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville Breaks Annual Shipping Record

For the second year in a row, the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville set an annual shipping record with total cargo tonnage for 2015 exceeding the previous year's volume by nearly 16 percent. The port handled 2.8 million tons of cargo in 2015, driven by heavy volumes of agriculture and steel products. Shipments of steel more than doubled the previous record set in 2014, helped in part by rising demand in the U.S. auto industry, which sold a record 17.5 million light trucks and cars in 2015, according to Autodata Corp. Grain volume was the second highest in port history, following only the record harvest year of 2014. Port companies ship cargo to or from all 50 states and 12 countries…

11 Feb 2016

Port of LA’s January Volumes Up 33%

Photo: Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles handled 704,398 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in January 2016, an increase of 33 percent compared to January 2015, making for the busiest January in the port’s 109-year history. "Record January volumes is a very encouraging way to start 2016, particularly after the slow start that West Coast ports experienced last year," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. January 2016 imports surged 41.6 percent to 367,208 TEUs compared to the previous year. Exports increased 1.5 percent to 126,240 TEUs in January.

15 Oct 2015

Los Angeles Moves 730,306 TEUs in September

Photo: Port of Los Angeles

A total of 730,306 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) was handled by the Port of Los Angeles in September 2015, the port reported. Although volumes were robust, they fell short of last September, which ranks among the strongest months in port history, the port said. September 2015 volumes were down 5.8 percent compared to the same period last year. "While we fell short of last September's exceptional volume of 775,000 TEUs, I’m encouraged by the productivity our terminals and supply chain partners have demonstrated over the past six months,” said Port of Los Angeles Director Gene Seroka.