New Orleans port chief points up return of steel imports in 2004

New Orleans port chief points up return of steel imports in 2004    Gary LaGrange, New Orleans port president and chief executive officer, told regional business leaders Wednesday that steel imports are on the rebound in the Louisiana port.
   Steel imports in New Orleans dropped 46 percent in 2003 compared with the previous year due to the Bush administration’s tariff on the commodity. LaGrange said the port has experienced a 56 percent increase in steel imports during the first half of 2004 since the administration ended the tariff.
   During a recent trip to Asia, LaGrange said he learned that a number of steel companies plan to increase their steel shipments to New Orleans.
   The steel tariff also helped drive down New Orleans’ overall 2003 cargo levels by 17.5 percent. In the first six months of 2004, general cargo was up 12 percent, LaGrange said.
   LaGrange credited the port’s $101 million Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal for helping the port expand its containerized cargo business. Container activity was up 4 percent in 2003 and up 10 percent in the first four months of 2004.
   The port plans to continue increasing its container capacity, expanding its handling of coffee shipments, and stimulating its shipbuilding activity. “We have about $400 million in projects already on the table,” LaGrange said.