Port NOLA announces record container growth

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has handled a total of 133,845 TEU during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.

This indicates a 19 per cent year-over-year (YoY) rise and a record quarter with container volume not seen since the supply chain challenges in 2021.

As containerised import volumes continue to steadily climb, throughput efficiency (the number of containers that pass through Port NOLA in a given timeframe) also continues to be high.

Port NOLA President and CEO and New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) CEO, Brandy D. Christian, said: “This record growth is a direct result of our innovative logistic solutions during supply chain disruptions as shippers focus on diversifying their trade lanes.

“Our strategic alignment with the NOPB makes New Orleans the only U.S. city where deep-draft shipping coincides directly with a rail gateway that serves six major Class 1 railroads.”

Port NOLA reported that in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, loaded imports increased by 19 per cent, while loaded exports increased by 16 per cent YoY.

Coffee, primarily from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and Asian and South American lumber products such as plywood are among the most common imports at Port NOLA.

Plastics like PVC are major export commodities, notably in Asia, as are other chemical products in North Europe and paper in Central America. Furthermore, there were 100 vessel calls this quarter, a 5 per cent increase from the same period last year.

Port NOLA Chief Commercial Officer, Amanda Coates, stated: “This upward trend is very encouraging and consistent with higher reliability in our weekly ocean carrier services. It also translates into more steady volumes from month to month than those from previous quarters.”

Last month, Port NOLA marked 20,500 container moves by barge during 2023, the highest since starting the service in 2016 with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Ingram Marine Group.