New Orleans Touts New Records for Container Traffic

The Port of New Orleans set records for container traffic in 2012, said Port of New Orleans CEO Gary LaGrange in the annual State of the Port Address Nov. 5 hosted by the International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans. In 2011, the port handled a record 476,413 TEUs. Through the first six months of 2012, the port handled 241,707 TEUs -- outpacing last year's figures for the same time period. So far in 2012, total general cargo is up 8.5 percent, buoyed by a 23 percent increase in break-bulk cargo.

New container services were added in 2012, as CMA CGM and CSAV shipping lines added the port to its Gulf Bridge Express to the Caribbean and Central and South American ports. ZIM Line returned service to New Orleans and recently Hamburg Sud announced a new service from New Orleans.

Work will begin in 2013 on the Napoleon Avenue Intermodal Terminal to improve rail service and efficiency and capitalize on the six Class One railroads that service the port, LaGrange said. The project will be mostly funded by a $16.7 million TIGER grant the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Port.