New Orleans Sees Most Containers in One Year

zoom The Port of New Orleans Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal handled 490,526 TEUs in 2014, an 8.8% increase compared to 2013, and a new record for the U.S. port. The port says that the increase is due to the addition of new shipping services and an uptick in the national economy. The port welcomed a new weekly European service from French container carrier CMA CGM February 2 with the arrival of the CMA CGM Jamaica. In addition, Chiquita Brands International, along with their sailing partner Mediterranean Shipping Company, began weekly service to the Port in October, after relocating its shipping operations to New Orleans after a 40-year hiatus. New Orleans Terminal and Ports America jointly operate the container terminal with New Orleans Terminal handling the new Chiquita cargo and Ports America handling the CMA CGM service. Strong export markets, primarily for chemical and agriculture products, together with new inbound customers such as Chiquita contributed to record container volumes, said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. New services in 2015, such as the recently announced CMA CGM weekly European service, and a full year of Chiquita cargo could translate into robust results again in 2015. The new services join existing customers MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Seaboard Marine, CSAV, Zim, NYK, Orient Overseas Container Line, American President Line, Hyundai and MOL offering regular container services at the terminal. In an effort to attract new container services, the Ports Board of Commissioners recently approved a new incentive dockage rate for a new services first 20 vessel calls.