CONTAINERS FALL AS RO-RO AND RAIL VOLUMES RISE AT PORT OF SAVANNAH
The Port of Savannah handled 413,300 TEUs in August, down 28 percent from August 2022, the Georgia Ports Authority’s busiest month on record. However, Roll-on/Roll-off cargo saw an 8% increase, and rail volumes increased by 6%. The Georgia Ports Authority’s “Mega rail” terminal is driving growth in rail volumes at the Port of Savannah, with rail now accounting for 21% of vessel lifts. In August, the Garden City Terminal handled 49,115 containers (around 89,000 TEUs), a 6% increase from the previous year. Intermodal cargo represented 21.6% of total containers, reflecting a 7% increase compared to August 2022. Georgia Ports and CSX have partnered to provide daily rail departures between the Port of Savannah and CCX Yard in North Carolina, aiming to attract more cargo transiting the Panama Canal with faster transit times.
RESIN EXPORTS HELP PORT HOUSTON AS IMPORTS FALL
Loaded exports are helping to support overall volumes at Port Houston’s container terminals as loaded import volumes fall compared to record levels in 2022. Export volumes at Port Houston have increased by 10% year to-date, driven primarily by resin exports. Port Houston is the top gateway for resin exports in the country, accounting for a 59% market share. Overall container volumes at Port Houston declined in August compared to the previous year. This decrease was primarily driven by a significant drop in empty container volume and challenging year-on-year comparisons. Year-to-date, the empty container volume has decreased by 17%.In August, Port Houston handled 307,624 TEUs, marking a 20% decrease from the previous year. This decline is attributed in part to the record-breaking activity at Port Houston’s Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals during the same month last year.
LOUIS ‘AG’ PORTS GET BEHIND NEW ORLEANS CONTAINER TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT
The St. Louis regional ports and the St. Louis Regional Freight way are throwing their support behind the development of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA). The LIT is a container terminal project along the Lower Mississippi River that aims to improve cargo flow for industries such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, and port operations in the Southeast and Midwest regions. The $1.8 billion container terminal will be located on 400 acres of Port NOLA land in Violet, Louisiana, just down river from New Orleans. The addition of the terminal will eliminate air-draft restrictions, allowing larger vessels to call on Port NOLA and significantly increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity.
NEW ZIM SERVICE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF SAVANNAH’S EXPANDING COLD STORAGE NETWORK
The Port of Savannah’s growing refrigerated network has attracted a new ZIM service, opening a direct connection to the West Coast of South America as further support for the high-demand perishables market. With the Colibri Xpress service making weekly calls at Savannah, chilled produce imported into the US can reach markets on the East Coast and Midwest faster and fresher compared with other ports of entry.
CSX, NS GULF COAST RAIL DEAL WITH AMTRAK RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDING
Plans by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railroad to improve freight rail service to and from the Port of Mobile received a boost from the federal government via a $178 million grant to improve trackage along the US Gulf Coast. The grant is part of a larger round of rail funding announced Monday that will also facilitate the upgrading of intermodal rail connections out of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The US Transport Department (DOT) announced the approval of $1.4 billion in grants for rail projects that applied for funding under its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure.
