LAPLACE – Port of South Louisiana, handled 248,745,280 short tons of cargo in 2004, an increase of 9.5 million short tons from 2003.

The 4 percent boost is attributed to an increase in shipments of Crude Oil (up 19 percent to 60.2 million short tons), Petrochemicals (up 4 percent to 44.1 million short tons), and Maize (up 7 percent to 52.4 million short tons), to facilities within port’s 54-mile industrial corridor on the Lower Mississippi River.

Total imports of 68,827,519 short tons show an increase of 19 percent from 2003. The import figures show a jump of 11 million short tons that is also credited to a higher volume of Crude Oil (up 15 percent to 49.9 million short tons) and Petrochemicals (up 146 percent to 4.1 million short tons).

Total exports decreased slightly to 52,040,413 million short tons, down 8% from 2003. The 4.6 million shortfall resulted from a decline in the exports of Animal Feed (23 percent -down 3.4 million short tons) and Soybean (23 percent – down 13.8 million short tons).

Domestic shipments escalated by 14 percent, for a total 52,047,106 short tons in 2004. The 6.5 million short ton increase from 2003 is primarily due a rise in shipments of Coal/Lignite/Coke (up 200 percent to 2.9 million short tons) and Crude Oil (up 90 percent to 7.7 million short tons).

Domestic receipts decreased by 4 percent to 75,830,243 short tons in 2004. Gains in commodities such as Maize (up 6 percent to 26.1 million short tons) and Petrochemicals (up 6 percent to 14.9 million short tons) managed to keep the deficit for domestic receipts at 3.5 million short tons.

The Port of South Louisiana received 3,764 vessel calls through 2004, as compared to 3,753 vessels in 2003. The port also received 55,068 barge calls (an increase of 2% from 2003), at facilities located in the parishes of St. Charles, St. John, and St. James, during the same period.

Executive Director Joseph Accardo, Jr., believes that “the total throughput at the Port of South Louisiana will continue to rise as domestic and international economic conditions favor growth at commercial markets worldwide.”

Additional statistical information is available at www.portsl.com.