LED FastStart, Port of South Louisiana earn top rankings

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 10, 2019

RESERVE – The Port of South Louisiana ranked No. 1 in the United States among the leading Foreign Trade Zones for Imports, according to Business Facilities Magazine’s 15th Annual Rankings Report.

In the report, Louisiana earned No. 3 rankings for Foreign Trade Zones-Exports and Cybersecurity Growth Potential. The state additionally ranked No. 8 in overall economic growth potential.

The publication looked at the ways states collaborate with industries and higher education systems, how well they integrate STEM skills into training curricula, dual-credit high school technology programs, industry-specific training academies and on-site training facilities for advanced manufacturing and other sectors.

Governed by a board of nine commissioners, the Port of South Louisiana is the largest tonnage port district in the western hemisphere. The facilities within St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes handled over 303 million short tons of cargo in 2018, brought to its terminals via vessels and barges.