Port of Boston Sets New Record

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced another record year for the Port of Boston’s Paul W. Conley Container Terminal.

From July 2018 through June 2019, Conley handled 307,331 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) – an 8% increase in cargo volumes over FY2018 and a new all-time record for the fifth consecutive year. Total imports also rose by 12% over FY18 to 152,960 TEUs in advance of pending tariffs.

“We are proud of Conley’s continued growth and success, which reflect the region’s strong economy and Conley’s high levels of productivity,” said Acting Port Director Mike Meyran.

“For FY2020, we will continue to make smart infrastructure investments and operational improvements to support the needs of the companies that depend on the Port.” Meyran replaced Lisa Wieland who was selected by the Massport Board of Directors as the Authority’s new CEO and Executive Director.

Massport is on track with building out Berth 10 as well as ordering three new Ship-to-Shore cranes.  These new berth and cranes will be fully functional by the end of 2020 and will support Conley Terminal’s continued growth, handling larger ships transiting through the Panama and Suez Canals.

Additional landside improvements are being made, including technology upgrades, a new reefer racking system, and new in-and-out gate facilities through a $42 million Federal FASTLANE grant. Massport already received two new rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) in May. Two more are expected to arrive in the fall with plans to operate a fleet of 16 RTGs by 2020. A $75 million Freight Haul Road was installed in Fall 2017 for the trucking community to conveniently access the interstate highways.

Another major infrastructure project initiated in the last several years is the Boston Harbor Dredging Project. The maintenance dredging of the inner harbor was completed in December 2017 and the deepening of the main ship channels will be completed by the end of 2021. The $350 million project is approximately 40 percent complete.

“Mike has been an integral part of Maritime’s success over the years and we have no doubt that will continue,” said Wieland. “The Port of Boston plays an important role in the regional economy. We will continue to work with our partners, including our local State and Federal elected officials, to ensure the Port remains competitive.”  

Since 2007, Meyran has held the role as Deputy Port Director where he was responsible for the general management of operations and facilities of the Port of Boston. Prior to his time at Massport, Meyran served at numerous ports including APM Terminals in Los Angeles, APM Terminals BV in the Netherlands, Maersk Pacific in Long Beach, and Sealand in Atlanta.

The Port of Boston is the main artery of Massachusetts’ consumer economy, with imports and exports serving as vital catalysts for growth, investment and opportunity. More than 2,500 businesses across New England use the Port for importing and exporting goods. A recent study commissioned by Massport shows the Port of Boston contributed $8.2 billion in economic activity in 2018, doubling its impact since 2012. The Port also created over 66,000 jobs during the same period.

Conley serves as an efficient alternative to other U.S. East Coast ports for New England cargo while offering three weekly services from nine of the world’s top ocean carriers – Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), COSCO Shipping, OOCL, Evergreen, CMA CGM, APL, Yang Ming, Hapag-Lloyd, and Ocean Network Express (ONE).