By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTIn so many ways, port activities at the Delaware River’s Port of Wilmington reflect economic conditions in the overall country. Tom Keefer, deputy executive director of the Diamond State Port Corporation, the state entity that runs the port, reveals that so far 2011 is off to a good start. “We attracted new business, and the perishable business is up,” he says. Still, some commodities, such as steel, have not rebounded, and imported forest products are nonexistent for the port. “Those commodities have not come back to the pre-recession days,” he says. “I think the entire Mid Atlantic region would say the same thing.” Gains in Fruit Business Well known as home to the world’s largest banana port and for its business in handling fruit from South America, fresh fruit continues to be big business for the Port of Wilmington. Already this year, fresh fruit out of Chile has shown a 20 percent increase over last year. Keefer quantifies, however, that last year’s volumes were not strong due to a delayed growing season caused by frost and rain, and the massive earthquake in Chile that devastating the country at the peak of shipping. As a result, shipments were delayed 10 days to April 20. But continuing to impact the trade is the weak U.S. Dollar. “This has forced some growers in Chile to look for markets that offer a better return,” Keefer says. “The growers pay their workers in Chilean currency, yet sell in the importers’ domestic currencies. If exchange rates are unfavorable, it’s an uphill battle for them.” Nevertheless, better weather and the lack of geological events have resulted in volumes being up this year. Adding to the increase, Keefer sees Chilean product more widely accepted year after year. “People enjoy it,” he says. “There is such a large variety of fresh fruit that comes northbound, and people look for it in the winter when there are many other fresh fruit options except staples like bananas and pineapples.” Besides the Chilean fruit, however, this year the Port of Wilmington is seeing more Argentine pears and apples come across its piers. “Previously, we received small qualities co-loaded with apple and pear concentrate from Argentina,” Keefer reveals. But this year, the Port of Wilmington is seeing more direct ship calls carrying palletized and conventional reefer containers—in addition to ships hauling juice concentrate. “This is new business for us,” Keefer comments. “The business, which takes place in early March and runs through May, has been on the Delaware River, but this year we were able to capture it for the Port of Wilmington.” Space Port Another new business is rocket booster cores for the Taurus® II rocket program. The Taurus® II has been designed by Orbital Sciences Corp., one of the world’s leading space technology companies. This April, the port handled its second the 12 shipments of the Ukrainian-built 100-foot long and 15 feet in diameter booster cores. The first was offloaded at Wilmington in November. “We expect another six to 12 shipments over the next eight to 10 months,” Keefer says. He explains the rocket boosters are being imported into the United States because NASA will need to have a source for other launch vehicles to supply the international space station once the space shuttle program is retired. The Taurus® II space launch vehicle is a medium-class rocket that will be used to conduct resupply missions to the International Space Station and serve as a launch vehicle for government, defense, intelligences, and commercial satellites. These particular rocket boosters are being transported from the Port of Wilmington on Route 13 across the Delmarva Peninsula to Wallops Island in southeastern Virginia. Keefer attributes Orbital Sciences Corporation’s decision to use the Port of Wilmington to its ability of putting together a logistics program to support their requirements. This includes everything from arranging for special moori