LAPLACE — Port of South Louisiana’s performance demonstrates the strength and stability of its resident industry. The Port continues on its mission to promote maritime commerce, trade, and development and establish industrial facilities thereby creating jobs and a stronger tax base.

Located within a 54-mile stretch of the lower Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the Port of South Louisiana offers shippers a strategic location at the intersection of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico and an intermodal transportation network of waterways, roadways, rail, and air, featuring access to four interstate highways, four Class I railroads, the Louis Armstrong International Airport and the Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport.

As the largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere (in 2018, private industries within St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James Parishes handled over 303 million short tons of cargo brought to its terminals via over 4,402 ocean-going vessels and 63,638 barges), the Port of South Louisiana is not only the highest grain exporter in the United States (over 50 percent of the nation’s grain is exported via the Port of South Louisiana), it is also the highest ranked exporter in North America.

With over 46 million short tons of crude oil imports per year, four major oil refineries and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, the Port of South Louisiana has been ranked as one of the top energy transfer ports in the nation.

Ranked #1 in the Merchandised Received (Warehouse/Distribution) category for 2017, the Port of South Louisiana is one of the most active foreign trade zones in the country. Subzones in Zone 124 admitted $49.5 billion worth of products last year accounting for 7% of the nation’s total shipments in zones and supported over 10,600 jobs.

The Port of South Louisiana has one of North America’s largest concentration of heavy manufacturers, a reflection of the strategic location, comparative market access, and a highly-skilled labor pool. Industry leaders in the energy and chemical sectors continue to invest billions of dollars as they expand operations to capture market opportunities. Currently, the Port handles over $83 billion in trade annually that supports over 30 thousand direct jobs (6 out of 10 jobs) in the River Region, which translates to over 83 thousand jobs (1 out of 25) in the state of Louisiana. Regionally, it contributes $1.8 billion in income, $14.4 billion in revenue, and $72.5 million in state and local taxes.

Industries from all over the globe have taken notice of the Port of South Louisiana’s competitive advantages. As a matter of fact, the region has attracted billions of dollars of investment –$24.512 billion to be exact– by companies in the petrochemical, fertilizer, and logistics industries. Projects like these are vital to sustaining and promoting further economic prosperity for the Port of South Louisiana, the River Region, and its labor force.