North Carolina ports remain on tract for growth
By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT
Typical of today’s economy, tonnage figures coming from the North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) show a mixed bag of both positive and negative news. On the positive end are figures for Fiscal Year 2010 ending June 30 that show container volumes, measured in TEUs, recorded a 29 percent increase over FY 2009 volumes.
While the actual 2010 fiscal year-end statistics for general cargo (bulk and break bulk) tonnage for NCSPA’s two ports (Morehead City and Wilmington) were not available at this writing, officials point out that the total year-to-date tonnage is about 10 percent lower below the previous year (May 2010 over May 2009).
Glenn Carlson, NCSPA Chief Commercial Officer, reports that apparel and textiles, and forest products (wood pulp and lumber) shipped as containerized goods are faring the best at NCSPA ports. He attributes this largely to container services offered by Maersk Line and Independent Container Line, Ltd. (ICL) at the Port of Wilmington that commenced last year. Adding to the positive news is also demand for U.S. hardwoods used in offshore furniture manufacturing.
Meanwhile, commodities related to the housing and construction industry remain depressed without any significant upturn in the U.S. housing market.
None the less, the transpacific trade route remains strong for NCSPA, while Northern Europe and Central America routes are growing.
Top trading partners are India, China, South Korea, Venezuela, Brazil, Taiwan, Colombia, Bahamas, Denmark, Trinidad, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Primary exports NCSPA ports handle are phosphate, forest products, wood pulp, general merchandise, scrap metal and food products. Top imports are chemicals, sulfur products, animal feed, cement, general merchandise, metal products, rubber, ore, mica, schist, forest products, scrap metal and furniture.
Significant Service Calls
Without a doubt Maersk and ICL have brought substantial volumes to the Port of Wilmington.
Maersk’s South Atlantic Express (SAE) service 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 offers weekly container shipping service between North Carolina and Northern Europe and the United Kingdom.
Carlson attributes ICL’s superior customer service as a primary reason, ICL has experienced strong growth in the first year of weekly service between the Port of Wilmington, NC, and Northern Europe and the United Kingdom.
“ICL’s success contributed significantly to the 29 increase in container moves at Wilmington over the previous year,” he claims.
Recently, the steamship company strengthened its connections to Europe by adding a connecting service from Liverpool, England, to the Spanish port of Bilbao and the Portuguese ports of Lexes and Lisbon. In addition, besides celebrating its first year anniversary at the Port of Wilmington, ICL is also marking 25 years of operations this year in the North Atlantic trade.
In fact, container volumes during ICL’s first year at Wilmington have grown two and a half times since the ship, Independent Pursuit, made its inaugural call on March 26, 2009. Key North Carolina business sectors using ICL’s service fast and cost effective service are the automotive and construction equipment industry, as well as the high tech textiles, chemical and forest products trades.
Meanwhile, Maersk has seen volumes increase nearly 50 percent on the average since it began weekly vessel calls to the Port of Wilmington with its SAE service in March 2009.
Since then, the container shipping company has expanded its service coverage with additional vessel calls. These connect Wilmington and Puerto Cortes, Honduras and Santo Tomas, Guatemala in northern Central America with over the road service to El Salvador and Nicaragua.
“Maersk Line marked the one year anniversary of our servic