Port Everglades Cargo Growth Double the National Average
Port Everglades’ 14 percent growth in containerized cargo during the first six months of calendar year 2011 is nearly twice the national average of 7.1 percent for all U.S. seaports, based on the latest Journal of Commerce PIERS Port Ranking Report. “Port Everglades is climbing back to its pre-2007 cargo levels, before the downturn in the global economy,” said Port Everglades Director Phil Allen. Containerized cargo volumes at Port Everglades increased 14 percent from 292,673 TEUs during the period of January to June 2010 to 333,546 TEUs during the same time period in 2011. Nationally, TEUs increased from 13,611,797 during the first half of 2010 to 14,571,482 in 2011. A TEU is a 20-foot equivalent unit, a shipping industry measurement term for a standard 20-foot container.
Laid-Up Container Ships
A sharp contraction in world trade has idled more than 200 container ships, threatening the survival of many companies, according to The Journal of Commerce. "The slump in container shipping appears certain to extend into 2010 or beyond. Some companies won't survive," said Joseph Bonney, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Commerce. Carriers operating from Asia to Europe, the world's busiest container trade route, are expected to lose up to $5b this year. Additional losses are forecast for 2009. "This is the biggest challenge the industry has faced since container ships began replacing conventional freighters nearly 50 years ago," Bonney said.
