MarAd Releases Vessel Calls at U.S. Ports - 2000

The purpose of the report is to bring together data on vessel capacity and the number of vessels calling at major U.S. ports, by major type, size and age of the vessels. The underlying data permits creation of port and coastal range profiles in terms of the major characteristics of the active world fleet. The report contains summary tables that present a profile of calls at U.S. ports in terms of active fleet characteristics (vessel type, age and size), and a 3-year time series of calls at U.S. ports by vessel type. Detailed tables present calls at major (top 50) ports, by vessel type and size. The report highlights, for example, that 48 percent of the active world fleet called at a U.S. port during 2000, and that the top 20 U.S. ports accounted for 77 percent of the overall vessel capacity calling at U.S. ports. (The top 5 accounted for 49 percent.) Reflecting a certain level of regional specialization, tanker and dry bulk vessel calls tend to be concentrated at Gulf ports, while containership calls are heaviest at Atlantic and Pacific ports. Overall, the average size of vessels calling at U.S. ports was 14 percent larger than the world fleet average. For the period 1998 to 2000, calls at U.S. ports by vehicle carriers increased by 46 percent, reflecting both an increase in U.S. vehicle imports and higher call frequencies. Containership calls at U.S. ports increased by 6 percent from 1998 to 2000, but containership capacity calling at U.S. ports increased by 12 percent, reflecting an increase in average vessel size.