DOT REPORT: U.S. PORTS HANDLE 1.2 BILLION TONS OF CARGO EACH YEAR

DOT REPORT: U.S. PORTS HANDLE 1.2 BILLION TONS OF CARGO EACH YEAR    The U.S. Transportation Department said in a report this week that about 1.2 billion tons of international cargo moves through the nation’s seaports each year.
   Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said the report, “Maritime Trade & Transportation 2002,” emphasizes the “critical role that the Maritime Transportation System plays in our nation’s economy.”
   The report, which was based on 2000 tonnage figures, found significant regional differences in waterborne traffic:
   * Western ports in California, Oregon and Washington rank first in container traffic because of the heavy use of containers in the transpacific trades.
   * Southwest Texas ranks first in tanker traffic because of tankers used in the trade with Latin America.
   * Ports in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia rank first in dry-bulk traffic because of heavy dry bulk trade with Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin America.
   The report was produced by DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The Maritime Administration and Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. also contributed.
   “The focus of the study is on the Maritime Transportation System’s significant contributions to U.S. economic growth, global competitiveness and national security objectives,” DOT said. “This report also includes information regarding trade, shipbuilding, waterborne transportation, environmental issues, national security and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.”