By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTWhile Fiscal Year 2009 figures were not available at this writing, North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) officials indicate that forecasts for that year project bulk cargo tonnage for both its Port of Wilmington and Morehead City to be flat over previous fiscal year figures, while break bulk tonnage volumes will be between a 35 to 40% drop. Meanwhile, they expect container volumes will show they achieved 95% of the FY 2008 volumes. “This would be a markedly better than the double-digit drops reported by other ports,” Karen Fox, NCSPA spokesperson, wrote in a statement to AJOT. NEW SERVICE CALLS Fox and her boss, Thomas J. Eagar, NCSPA CEO, contend that this can largely be attributed to the start up of two new container services at Wilmington in March 2009. “Those commitments have benefited us,” stated Eager in a telephone interview with this AJOT reporter. “The 95% achievement is a testament to the hard work done by our business and economic development partners to convey to the liner companies the opportunities the Port of Wilmington offers for shipments destined to the major distribution corridors through North Carolina on Interstates 85 and 95.” Those lines adding service to NCSPA’s Port of Wilmington are Maersk and Independent Container Line (ICL). Maersk’s South Atlantic Express service, which commenced on March 6, offers direct weekly connections between the Port of Wilmington and Puerto Cortes, Honduras and Santo Tomas, Guatemala in northern Central America, with over the road service to El Salvador and Nicaragua. ICL, which inaugurated its Wilmington calls on March 26, now offers weekly container shipping service between North Carolina and north Europe and the United Kingdom. ICL COO Dale Ross commented in a NCSPA press release that by using the Port of Wilmington, ICL can also improve overall service levels to its customers by taking advantage of the expanded facilities at Wilmington’s container terminal. As a result of this activity, Wilmington is experiencing increased liftings. “Some of that has been offset due to a reduction in traffic,” remarked Eagar. “But, overall, our market share continues strong.” One big advantage, Eagar pointed out, is shippers and their subsequent logistics providers realize they can save a couple hundred dollars in trucking and throughput costs by using the port – a point port officials emphasize to cost conscience customers. “We see these difficult economic times as an opportunity,” Eagar emphasized. “Whereas a certain dollar amount in the past was not that significant, now companies are taking a closer look at the cost of their operations. We’ve been able to take advantage of that.” COMMODITY MOVEMENTS While commodities related to the housing industry such as lumber, steel, cement, furniture and consumer goods are showing the greatest declines at the NCSPA ports, Fox indicated bulk commodities such as animal feed, wood chips and liquid industrial chemicals have fared better in FY 2009. “Also, containerized commodities showing growth are textiles and wood pulp,” she said. “Textile numbers have increased because of the new Maersk Line service between Wilmington and Central America; the containerized wood pulp exports result from the shift by International Paper from break bulk to containers.” Eagar emphasized how the reduction in charter rates has benefited these types of commodities. “These customers are able to go out and charter a bulker at a significantly reduced cost over two years ago,” he told AJOT. “That opens more market opportunities to import those commodities than domestic sourcing. We have seen our hog and poultry producers take advantage of this. As a result we have seen more animal feed coming through the Port of Wilmington.” Due to the downturn in the construction industry, however, Eagar revealed NCSPA has seen lumber, steel and cement tonnage take deep hits. “We are looking at numbers upwards 30 and 35% in those ma