Port Traffic Metrics: NAFTA, Longview
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Port container traffic volumes within the area encompassed by North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) reached a record high in 2016 of approximately 60.2 million TEUs. That was up 1.1 percent from the previous record year of 2015 and exceeded the box count of two decades ago by 118 percent.
Record highs and year-on-year increases were posted as well by NAFTA partners Mexico (+3.2 percent) and the United States (+1.2 percent) while Canada experienced a 1.7 percent decline.
From a long-term perspective, Mexico has outperformed its northern neighbors by a substantial margin, with container trade growth since 1997 averaging 11.6 percent annually, compared to 5.6 percent for Canada, 4.1 percent for the United States and 4.6 percent for the region overall. Click here for details.
The data come from AAPA surveys and include loaded containers inbound and outbound as well as empties handled in foreign and domestic trade.
In 2016, approximately 60 percent of NAFTA region ports experienced box traffic gains. Among the percentage growth leaders were Apra (Guam), Chiapas, Port Canaveral, San Diego, Mobile, Gulfport, Nanaimo, Halifax, and Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, Long Beach and New York/New Jersey remained the leading container ports in the NAFTA region and indeed the entire Western Hemisphere. Others among the top five were Savannah, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (Seattle/Tacoma). Vancouver, Montreal, Prince Rupert and Halifax ranked highest in Canada, while Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Veracruz, and Altamira were the leaders in Mexico.
The top five U.S. ports, Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Savannah and the Northwest Seaport Alliance, accounted for 60 percent, the top 10 for 81 percent, and the top 25 for 99 percent of total 2016 U.S. container traffic measured in TEUs.
Click here for container traffic profiles of 74 Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. ports, with data as available on TEUs, boxes, and metric tons of containerized cargo and here for rankings of the 50 top NAFTA area ports based on 2016 TEU throughput.
Longview: Port Cargo Operations Excel in First Quarter
A second consecutive record year is shaping up at the Port of Longview where first quarter 2017 cargo throughput jumped 46 percent from a year ago to 2.4 million metric tons, or 31 percent of the projected year-end total.
Spurring this year’s growth were bulk cargo shipments from Berth 2 and EGT, the port’s export grain terminal. At Berth 2, pot ash increased by nearly 100,000 tons due to the closing a facility at a neighboring Colombia River port. At EGT, corn and soybeans experienced first quarter gains of 387,000 tons and 220,000 tons.
The port anticipates increases in import project cargo – such as wind energy blades and transformers – as well as continued increases from EGT and bulk commodities.
"This healthy volume of movement is a testament to our strong cargo-handling capabilities," said Laurie Nelson-Cooley, the port’s business development manager. "Our diverse cargo portfolio allows us to remain productive throughout the year, whether that’s in bulk, break bulk or heavy-lift cargoes."
Longview’s Berth 2 loaded nearly 100,000 tons of potash for export during first quarter 2017. Photo/Port of Longview
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