Port Traffic Metrics, U.S. Ports, Virginia

America’s waterborne commerce edged higher in 2016, up 0.6 percent from the year before to 2.3 billion short tons, according to data compiled and reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. The total includes foreign (i.e., import/export) trade as well as cargo shipped domestically between and within coastal, Great Lakes, non-contiguous, and inland waterway ports of the United States.

 

Exports set a record for the fifth time in six years, up 6.0 percent from 2015 to 659.8 million tons. Imports were marginally higher.  Domestic cargo tonnage fell as declines in the coastwise and Great Lakes trades offset a modest gain by inland waterway freight.

 

As shown in Table 1, the long-term trend was positive for international trade, especially exports, and negative across-the-board for the domestic trades.

 

Data reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicates that in 2016, about 69 percent of U.S. foreign trade by weight and 41 percent by value was transported by water. Air, rail, highway and pipeline accounted for most of the balance. Table 2 has detail.

 

Based on total tonnage, the top U.S. ports in 2016 were South Louisiana, Houston, New York/New Jersey, New Orleans and Beaumont. South Louisiana also ranked first in domestic cargo, while Houston led the nation in foreign trade. Duluth/Superior stood first among U.S. Great Lakes ports. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky on the Ohio River was the leading shallow-draft inland waterway port. Click here for complete U.S. Port Rankings by Cargo Tonnage 2016.

 

 

The Port of Virginia® reports its Hampton Roads facilities handled 240,570 container TEUs (up 1.9 percent compared to November 2016), breakbulk shipments totaling 19,965 short tons (+6.5 percent) and 6,584 new import cars (+170.6 percent) during the month of November. 

 

"Our TEU volume was modest, up nearly two percent, we showed slight container growth at Virginia Inland Port and our efforts to diversify our cargo mix with non-containerized cargo are showing promise – November was the fourth consecutive month of growth in import autos for us," said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA). "Though we are still processing peak-season volume, we are beginning to see a tapering-off trend, as anticipated.  

 

Data for the calendar year through November show increases from 2016 for container TEUs (+7.3 percent) and for containers transported to and from the port by truck (+9.5 percent), rail (+3.3 percent) and barge (On a calendar year basis, TEU volumes were 7.3 percent ahead of last year; containers, up 7.6 percent; trucks, up 9.5 percent; rail, up 3.3 percent; and barge (+24.8 percent).  Click here for a more detailed traffic profile. 

 

"There are several positive things happening that are going to help build business and drive efficiency," Mr. Reinhart said. "We are preparing to put into service on the Richmond Express (barge) a 40-plug mobile power unit that will serve owners and shippers of refrigerated cargo to Richmond Marine Terminal. Further, VDOT is nearing completion of the I-564 Intermodal Connector and this ramp will give motor carriers using the NIT North Gate unimpeded interstate access. Finally, our wider, deeper, safer effort to deepen Norfolk Harbor and the channels to 55-feet continues to move forward in a positive direction."