Savannah Top Port for U.S. Exports June-May 2020

Aug. 24, 2020- The Port of Savannah exported more loaded containers than any other port in the country from January through May, achieving a 12.2 percent market share. Garden City Terminal handled a total of 593,195 twenty-foot equivalent container units of loaded exports during the first five months of the calendar year.

"In today's environment, businesses need every advantage to regain momentum and provide the growth that helps so many hard-working Americans to prosper," said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. "The Georgia Ports Authority is a powerful economic engine for the state and a key link in the supply chain for industries across the region."

Situated at the center of a broad logistics network, Savannah offers 37 weekly container ship services reaching destinations around the world, on-terminal service from Class I railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX, and direct access to Interstates 95 and 16.

"With the expansion of the Panama Canal, and the transition of larger vessels to East Coast services, cargo owners are making the strategic decision to keep imports on the water longer," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "Subsequently, export customers enjoy greater empty container availability in Savannah, lower container slot costs on Neo-Panamax vessels, and unmatched cargo fluidity through road, rail and terminal services.”

Among Savannah's top export commodities, the biggest gainers for the period were raw cotton, which grew by 61.0 percent (16,377 TEUs) for a total of 43,234 TEUs, woodpulp, up by 15.8 percent (11,539 TEUs) for a total of 84,595 TEUs, and kaolin clay, up 23.7 percent (7,964 TEUs) for a total of 41,527 TEUs.

"Our export numbers show how the Georgia Ports Authority plays a vital role as a state and national asset, supporting farms and factories across the country," said GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight. "Terminal efficiency is about more than moving cargo quickly, it's about helping American companies compete in the global marketplace."

Georgia's deepwater ports are still dealing with the impact of COVID-19, but have seen steadier trade numbers than other U.S. ports. In July, the Port of Savannah handled 360,700 TEUs, down 6.8 percent or 26,325 TEUs, compared to the same month last year. Total tonnage for the month dipped 3.1 percent, or 101,870 tons, for a total of 3.16 million tons for the first month of Fiscal Year 2021.

"Georgia's diverse industry, its position as a major agricultural producer and its central location within the U.S. Southeast have helped to mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic on trade through our terminals," Lynch said. "Along with our partners in the International Longshoremen's Association, motor carriers, railroads, stevedores and the distribution centers, we have been proud to provide steady, reliable service to our customers without delays or interruptions."

SOURCE: Georgia Ports Authority

Halifax Port Sees Jump in Cargo Traffic Due to Strike at Port of Montreal

By David Burke for CBC News

Aug. 17, 2020 - Workers at Halifax's port are putting in extra hours and cargo containers are filling up every available space as the port tries to accommodate a flood of extra cargo traffic.

Thousands of extra cargo containers are being moved through the port, according to Bill Organ, director of freight forwarding with the Warehouse Transport Group. The company warehouses containers and helps transport them via truck or train to their ultimate destination.

Warehouse Transport Group moves hundreds of containers through the port. Organ said a strike by longshore workers at the Port of Montreal has diverted the cargo to Halifax — one of the few ports on Canada's East Coast that has the equipment, crews, and access to rail lines to handle the extra cargo, said Organ.

"The port is extremely busy at the moment, the last two weeks I suppose in particular," said Organ. "I would say we're nearly triple what we're used to be moving at the moment."

Organ said that's creating jobs for anyone involved in the warehousing or trucking industries. It has also meant long hours for the crews who load and unload ships.

"I've got some friends in the longshoreman union that are pushing hours of 70 or 80 a week at the moment," said Organ.

It's hard to get an exact number on how much new cargo is moving through the port, said Lane Farguson, the manager of media relations and communications for the Halifax Port Authority.

But he said it's a lot.

"What we're doing is trying to manage the yard space as best we can," said Farguson. "So if you were to drive through the property today you would see there are empty containers stacked in parking lots and in areas where you wouldn't normally see them."

Much of that cargo is offloaded in Halifax then loaded on trains and sent to its final destination.

Handling all that extra cargo isn't easy and it's put a strain on the people and systems used to transport goods.

"It is now putting pressure on the supply chain coming in and out, rail cars, trucking capacity, warehousing, storage and all the things that go along with it," said Organ.

SOURCE: CBC News

Port of Long Beach Says July was Biggest Month Ever

Aug. 19, 2020 - July marked the busiest month in the 109-year history of the Port of Long Beach as terminal operators and dockworkers moved 753,081 cargo container units, topping a record set two years ago.

Trade increased 21.1% in July compared to the same month in 2019. The previous single-month record of 752,188 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), set in June 2018, was surpassed by nearly 900 TEUs.

“Supply chain workers at the Port of Long Beach expertly handled a welcome surge in cargo that was brought on due to pent-up demand by consumers,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “It was a good month, a bright spot, in the midst of the devastating effects of the coronavirus on the economy.”

“July’s performance reflects our excellent customer service and mission to move cargo efficiently, even during an unprecedented pandemic and the ongoing trade war with China,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the secure and speedy shipment of goods.”

Cargo volumes were bolstered in July by a surge in online spending as consumers continued to avoid leaving home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Port saw a short-term increase in extra vessel visits to compensate for voyages that were canceled earlier this year.

Imports climbed 20.3% to 376,807 TEUs, while exports grew 24.1% to 138,602 TEUs. Empty containers headed back overseas increased 20.8% to 237,672 TEUs.

The Port has moved 4,186,115 TEUs during the first seven months of 2020, 2.8% down from the same period in 2019.

SOURCE: Port of Long Beach

Mining and Forestry Groups Call on Government to Take Action to End Strike at Port of Montreal

Aug. 14, 2020 - Today, resource industry groups have united to demand the federal government intervene in the ongoing Port of Montreal strike. After a protracted rail strike in November, rail blockades in February, and the ongoing and significant supply chain disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Montreal strike is exacerbating an already stressful situation by bringing the shipping of essential items like minerals, metals, forest products and fuel to a standstill in the region.  

"Mining is a leading customer at the Port of Montreal, moving large volumes of iron ore, nickel, gypsum and recycled metal to smelters and refineries in the region. On the backdrop of massive supply chain disruption, and unprecedented reputational damage to Canada as a reliable international trading partner, this strike and the lack of effective action to resolve it demonstrates an incomprehensible inability to prioritize Canada's economic recovery in one of our country's greatest times of need," said Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC). "If the government wants to attract advanced manufacturing investment for battery and electric vehicle manufacturing needed to support the transition to a lower carbon economy, a reliable and efficient logistics supply chain is essential."

A marine transportation stoppage at Canada's largest eastern port significantly impacts the ability to bring essential inputs to companies that rely on them, and the capacity to move products and by-products to down-stream customers. To quell mounting damage to the fragile regional and national economy, and further harm to the country's reputation as a reliable trading partner, industry groups are urging the government to take any and all action necessary to address this work stoppage.

"The Port of Montreal is absolutely critical infrastructure to Canada's forest products sector. We export hundreds of products globally and receive shipments from abroad every single day," confirmed Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). "We estimate that this disruption has already imposed nearly $1 million US dollars in additional costs and lost sales for our sector in Ontario and Quebec– and this is at a time when we are facing high lumber demand and a struggling pulp and paper sector because of COVID-19.  This disruption is challenging our ability to deliver to our customers and keep our people working.  We need the federal government to deploy every resource to bring this dispute to resolution."

About MAC
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry.  Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.

About FPAC
FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $73.6-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 12 per cent of Canada's manufacturing GDP and is one of Canada's largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.

SOURCE Mining Association of Canada (MAC)