The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced that it moved a total of 133,845 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, representing a 19% increase year over year and also a record quarter with container volume not seen since the supply chain issues in 2021.
As containerized import volumes continue to climb steadily, Port NOLA said throughput efficiency — the number of containers that pass through Port NOLA in a given timeframe — also continues to be high.
"This record growth is a direct result of our innovative logistic solutions during supply chain disruptions as shippers focus on diversifying their trade lanes," said Brandy D. Christian, president & CEO of Port NOLA and New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB).
He added, "Our strategic alignment with the NOPB makes New Orleans the only US city where deep-draft shipping coincides directly with a rail gateway that serves six major Class 1 railroads."
During the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, loaded imports increased by 19%; loaded exports are up by 16% year over year.
Port NOLA said its top import commodities include coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, as well as wood products such as plywood from Asia and South America.
Top export commodities include plastics such as PVC, mainly to Asia, various chemical products to North Europe, and paper to Central America.
Additionally, there were 100 vessel calls during the quarter, representing a 5% increase compared to the same period last year.
"This upward trend is very encouraging and consistent with higher reliability in our weekly ocean carrier services," said Amanda Coates, chief commercial officer at Port NOLA. "It also translates into more steady volumes from month to month than those from previous quarters."
Last month, Port NOLA announced it set a new record for its container-on-barge service, moving 20,500 containers by barge during calendar year 2023, the highest since the service started in 2016.
Port NOLA said this represents the "largest container-on-barge network" in the US with connectivity to the nation's heartland.
The port noted that container-on-barge moves containers by water rather than by truck on roads to reduce air emissions, moving an average of 30,000 TEUs per year between New Orleans, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Memphis, and St. Louis.
Container-on-barge volumes nationwide are expected to grow above 200,000 TEUs by 2050.
The Port of NOLA said this efficient transportation access allows US shippers to compete in global markets and expands trade opportunities to urban and rural communities.