HANSA 03-2018

Häfen | Ports
600 mill. $ for rail in NY/NJ
Completion of the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project
last June helped drive cargo volumes in the Port of New York
and New Jersey to new record heights in 2017 by shattering the
existing annual cargo volume record, set in 2015, by 5.3%. In addition
to regional economic growth, the bridge project was perhaps
the biggest driving force.
During 2017, the port handled 6.71 mill. TEUs. The record volumes
allowed the port to maintain its position as the third largest
port in the United States with 15.4% market share and the
busiest on the East Coast with a 32% market share, according to
the port authority.
The project raised the clearance under the crossing from
151 feet to 215 feet, allowing ships as large as 18,000 TEUs to travel
under it to port facilities in Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island.
Since the project’s completion, the port has set new monthly
records for cargo volume activity every month through the remainder
of the year.
In addition, ExpressRail, the port authority’s ship-to-rail system,
also set a new record, handling 567,649 container lifts, a
5.1% increase over the previous record in 2016. In 2017, Express-
Rail accounted for 14.8% of all container lifts at the port. The
Port Authority’s goal is for the ExpressRail system to account for
20% of container lifts by 2020. To achieve this goal, the agency
has invested more than 600 mill. $ in its intermodal rail infrastructure.
»The new ExpressRail Port Jersey intermodal facility
will be operational in December 2018. The completion will add
250,000 lifts per year in rail capacity to the port, yielding a total
port-wide capacity of 1,500,000 lifts per year,« a spokesperson
confirms.
Record year in Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach moved 7.54 mill. TEUs in 2017, the most
in the 107-year history and an 11% increase over the previous
year. For the port, the big story was the »dramatic turnaround
at Pier T, under the new marine terminal operator MSC, which
had a very busy year,« Executive Director Mario Cordero tells
HANSA. Before declaring bankruptcy in August 2016, Hanjin
Shipping, which leased Pier T, accounted for 12% of the Long
Beach’s container volume. »Along with the success of MSC at Pier
T, we also welcomed the return of Hyundai. SM Line, a carrier
created out of the bankruptcy of Hanjin, brought its first ship to
the Pier A last year and is thriving,« he adds.
In addition, he also saw the opening of a second berth at the Long
Beach Container Terminal at Pier E, which is being redeveloped and
opened its first berth in 2016. According to Cordero, the advanced
technology at the terminal is operating well and achieving near-zero
emissions. Given the forecasts for increases in international trade
and retail activity, he expects volume to increase in 2018. »We would
look at an increase of at least 3%. So we expect an increase in trade in
2018.« China is the source for about two-thirds of the imports, and
the destination for about one-third of exports. »West Coast ports
handle more than two-thirds of Asian cargo, and that has remained
stable,« the Executive Director explains, adding »larger and larger
ships are entering the trans-Pacific trade. We can handle the largest
ships in the world and this region has the warehousing, rail connections
and truck connections to service those ships.«
Asked about the impact of a potential »new« federal trade policy,
Cordero emphasizes, that based on the strong global economy,
he expects to see trade increase modestly this year through
Long Beach. »It isn’t clear what new trade policies will be enacted«,
he says. The port continues to modernize and improve the
port »so we remain the premier gateway for U.S.-Asia trade. We
are looking forward to a ›24/7‹ port featuring more information
technology, one that is nimble like online retailer Amazon, and
bold like electric vehicle builder Tesla. We must re-imagine, redesign
and build a port that is second to none both environmentally
and operationally,« Cordero says.
Jacksonville expects growth
In Florida, Jacksonsville’s port operator Jaxport reports, the public
seaport terminals achieved record growth in containers, vehicles
and overall tonnage during the fiscal year ending 30 September
2017. Jaxport moved more than 1 mill. TEUs, a 7% increase
over 2016, which had also been a record year. »We expect increased
throughput and revenue as well as increases in both our
vehicle business and heavy/lift project cargoes and we expect continued
growth in our container and vehicle segments meaning
boosts in our Asian, European and Mexican trade volumes,« the
port operator tells HANSA. Asked about the potential impact of
the »new« trade policy of the U.S. government, it is explained,
that trade policies may prompt companies to build in the U.S.,
»positively impacting our export volumes.«
Photo: Port of Long Beach
One of the major gateways of the U.S.:
The port of Long Beach saw a record year in 2017
80 HANSA International Maritime Journal – 155. Jahrgang – 2018 – Nr. 3