By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT In considering today’s economy and activity at the seaports along the Delaware River, Joseph A. Balzon, executive director of the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC), considers Winston Churchill’s statement in March 1946 when it appeared the Allies had blunted the Nazi assault and were possibly turning the tide for World War II: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” “Sir Winston was correct, and I believe our economy is heading in the same direction,” Balzon states. As was the case nationwide, the world-wide recession showed improvement on maritime business on the Delaware River during 2010. Looking ahead at 2011, however, January proved to be a strong month at SJPC’s Port of Camden, with winter steel and cocoa beans among the prospective leaders of a potential rebound. According to SJPC statistics, the total tonnage for 2010 was 2,314,679 tons, only a 2.9 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2009 despite the loss of Del Monte’s import fruit business during the last quarter of 2010. Last summer in a controversial move, Del Monte shifted its business from SJPC’s Pier 5 Broadway terminal to nearby Gloucester City Marine Terminal overseen by Holt Logistics Inc.—also located on the Delaware River. The move resulted in a loss of some 200 jobs at Camden, thereby infuriating dock worker members of the International Longshoremen’s Association to the point of tossing pineapples into the Delaware River. Del Monte had been a client of South Jersey Port in Camden for 20 years. About a half-million tons of Del Monte bananas, carried on 75 ships, arrived at the port annually, according to a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nevertheless, SJPC reports that improvements were realized in some sectors of cargo tonnage and that its total 2010 tonnage growth would have reflected the beginning of what is anticipated as a slow rebound in the economy if not for the approximately 90,000 tons of fruit that were deflected from the Pier 5 Broadway terminal. Bulk cargo was up 3 percent on the year, SJPC reports. “Both Holcim import cement tonnage was up during December and finished the year significantly higher than 2009,” states Balzon. Scrap activity finished behind 2009, as was forecasted. Containerized cargo tonnage fell in 2010 from 2009 levels, which was also largely attributed to the reduced activity at Pier 5, Broadway. Ship calls totaled 213 in 2010, an increase of 7 over 2009. Ship days for 2010 were 506, compared to 611 in 2009. This year SJPC’s reputation as the premier cocoa bean port got a major boost on January 23 when the M/V Atlantic Tramp docked to begin unloading the single largest cocoa bean shipment from West Africa—283,360 140-pound burlap bags of cocoa beans which equals 18,600 metric tons. “Working with Camden International Commodities Terminal (CICT), SJPC’s two terminals in Camden have become the nation’s leader for import cocoa beans,” says. Balzano. “That’s because working together the port and CICT developed a highly efficient, special handling expertise for a very special cargo.’ Throughout the year, cocoa beans from West Africa and Asia imported through the Beckett Street Terminal and Broadway Terminal supply the major confectioners on the east coast and out to the Midwest. The cocoa beans, loaded on the M/V Atlantic Tramp in Abidjan and San Pedro in the Ivory Coast are for Chicago-headquarter Blommer Chocolate Company, North America’s largest cocoa processor and major cocoa beans importer. The beans arrive in thousands of burlap bags that are unload with cargo slings and transported from the docks to CICT’s warehouses. SJPC holds a patent on a specialized cargo carrier designed specifically to efficiently handle the bagged cocoa beans from ship to warehouse. Marketing Pays Off at PRPA More dramatic gains for 2010 cargo statistics over 2009 figures were realized across the river at the Port of Philade