New Orleans realizes cargo gains

New Orleans realizes cargo gains    Port of New Orleans cargo tonnage has improved 6.6 percent year-to-date compared to last year, led by a 60 percent jump in container traffic, Port President Gary LaGrange said Wednesday.

Port of New Orleans President Gary LaGrange, at his 'state of the port' address.

   Natural rubber and coffee imports have grown 14 percent and 5.4 percent respectively over a low base in 2009, LaGrange said in his annual 'state of the port' address to the local International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association, according to highlights of his speech released by the port.
   During the first half of the year, New Orleans handled 207,115 TEUs versus 129,453 TEUs during the same period in 2009, according to port statistics.
   LaGrange said the port's reinstatement of banana imports has contributed to the improvement in volumes. Ocean carrier Seaboard Marine now imports about 15,000 40-pound boxes of bananas each week.
   World demand and the weak U.S. dollar have helped boost the port's exports, including outbound chemical (up 74.3 percent), breakbulk (15.3 percent) and container shipments (61 percent).