Port of New Orleans announces record container growth


    The Port of New Orleans moved a total of 133,845 twenty-foot equivalent units during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, representing a 19% increase year-over-year.

    In making the announcement Thursday, port officials also said it was a record quarter with container volume not seen since the supply chain issues in 2021. 

    “This record growth is a direct result of our innovative logistics solutions during supply chain disruptions as shippers focus on diversifying their trade lanes,” Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy D. Christian, who is also CEO of New Orleans Public Belt, said in a statement. “Our strategic alignment with the NOPB makes New Orleans the only U.S. city where deep-draft shipping coincides directly with a rail gateway that services six major Class 1 railroads.”

    During the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, loaded imports rose 19%, while loaded exports were up 16% year-over-year.

    Last month, the port set a new record with its container-on-barge service, moving 20,500 containers by barge during calendar year 2023―the highest since the service started in 2016 with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Ingram Marine Group. Port officials say the partnership represents the largest container-on-barge network in the U.S.