As activity at the facilities of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) approaches the halfway point of 2014, cargo statistics compiled thus far strongly suggest that 2014 will be another year of major successes at the Port of Philadelphia, with the fifth year of double-digit cargo growth a likely development by year’s end.
Comparing the period of January to May 2014 with January to May 2013, containers have increased almost 29 percent; breakbulk cargoes have increased almost 16 percent; Roll-On/Roll-Off cargoes have increased almost 7 percent; and liquid bulk cargoes have increased more than 5 percent. All told, total cargo tonnage at PRPA facilities is up over 13 percent when comparing January to May 2013 with January to May 2014.
“Between our aggressive terminal operators, our expert labor force, PRPA’s dedicated professional staff, the excitement created by the Delaware River Channel Deepening Project, and the excellent support we’ve received from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and his administration, the Port of Philadelphia has a formula in place for continued high performance, and I don’t think that is going to change, ” said PRPA Chairman Charles G. Kopp. “ And we still have some entirely new cargoes on the horizon, including wood pulp from Fibria Cellulose, which will begin arriving here this summer. I really think that the sky is the limit for us.”
PRPA will report complete cargo statistics for the first half of 2014 as soon as they become available. Based on these January to May figures, port officials are optimistic that those figures will continue the noteworthy and sustained growth the Port of Philadelphia has enjoyed since 2010.
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Press Release, June 17, 2014