President Barack Obama’s recent decision to begin thawing relations with Cuba leads to the inevitable PortSide question: Will trade with the island nation resume or increase, and will it affect our ports?
Turns out, according to a story posted by the Miami Herald earlier this month, the Port of Brunswick is the United States’ top exporter to Cuba.
Lest we get too excited about that distinction, it should be noted that U.S. exports to Cuba — imports from Cuba are forbidden by the embargo — are at their lowest level in more than a decade.
The U.S. shipped $266 million in exports to the island nation between January and November of last year, according to statistics from the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc. The last time it was lower was $257 million in 2003.
According to the council, reasons for the cumulative reduction in U.S. exports in the last 10 years include substantial financial considerations to Cuba from both China and Venezuela and stronger import relations between Cuba and the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Vietnam, Mexico, Canada, Russia, Iran and France. The council also noted Cuba’s preference to buy products from government-controlled entities, which provide more favorable payment terms and less publicity when those payment terms are not honored.
In 2014, frozen chicken was the top U.S. export to Cuba, followed by soybean oil cake, soybeans, corn and mixed animal feeds.
In the last three years, Georgia Ports Authority sent nearly 38,000 short tons of soybeans, flour and meal of oilseed to Cuba, which makes up 80 percent of those products the nation receives. Georgia Ports Authority also sent 35 shipments of other products including cordage and twine, logs and lumber and petroleum products.
Because there is no direct service from Savannah to Cuba, the numbers reflects transshipments through the Caribbean, GPA spokesman Robert Morris said.
Logistics snaphot
The latest statistical snapshot from the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics includes these encouraging facts:
• Intermodal rail traffic in December 2014 was 3.7 percent higher, year-over-year. Intermodal loadings have experienced year-over-year gains for 61 straight months. (Source: Association of American Railroads)
• The trucking industry added 7,300 employees in December, increasing the 2014 industry workforce by 3 percent over the previous year. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• U.S. Class 8 truck orders in 2014 totaled 375,000 units, the second-highest order year in history, exceeded only by 2004 (source: FTR Associates). Class 8 trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,000 pounds or more and include most tractor-trailer trucks, such as Freightliner, Mack and Kenworth.
• U.S. ocean imports increased 6 percent in 2014, with total TEUs — or 20-foot containers — reaching 19.4 million, the highest volume ever. The Port of Savannah, the fourth-busiest port in the U.S. in 2014, increased its imports by 17 percent to 1.36 million TEUs, the largest gain of the top 10 ports. (Source: Zepol)
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
TERMINAL VESSEL ETA
GCT ZIM VIRGINIA Today
GCT APL TURQUOISE Today
GCT MOL MAGNIFICENCE Today
GCT PORTUGAL Today
GCT MSC LISBON Today
GCT UASC SITRAH Today
GCT NYK RIGEL Today
GCT CMA CGM BIANCA Today
GCT HANJIN RIO DE JANEIRO Today
GCT CHEM ANTARES Saturday
GCT MAERSK OHIO Saturday
GCT JPO VULPECULA Saturday
GCT CSAV LARAQUETE Saturday
GCT NYK DEMETER Saturday
GCT APL OMAN Saturday
GCT MAERSK DENVER Saturday
GCT AMAERSK KENTUCKY Saturday
GCT SWAZILAND Saturday
GCT XIN SU ZHOU Sunday
GCT HANJIN BALTIMORE Sunday
GCT NYK CONSTELLATION Sunday
GCT MSC STELLA Sunday
GCT PERFORMANCE Sunday
OT HONOR Sunday
GCT JAZAN Monday
GCT MSC TOKYO Monday
GCT MAERSK WINNIPEG Monday
GCT APL MEXICO CITY Monday
GCT APL CYPRINE Monday
GCT MOZART Monday
GCT KAETHE P Monday
GCT MSC LUDOVICA Tuesday
GCT CHARLESTON EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT ANHOUT SWAN Tuesday
GCT MOL EXCELLENCE Tuesday
GCT ZIM CONSTANZA Tuesday
GCT CSAV LUMACO Tuesday
GCT MARE SICULUM Tuesday
GCT YM EMINENCE Tuesday
GCT HALIFAX EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT COLUMBINE MAERSK Tuesday
OT TUGELA Tuesday
OT STAR LIVORNO Tuesday
GCT MSC ESTHI Wednesday
GCT CONRAD S Wednesday
GCT CMA CGM JAMAICA Wednesday
OT STAR LIMA Wednesday
OT AZTECA Wednesday
GCT DOLPHIN II Thursday
GCT RHL AGILITAS Thursday
GCT MOL MISSION Thursday
GCT PARTICI Thursday
GCT TEXAS Thursday
GCT MSC NURIA Thursday
GCT MSC BREMEN Thursday
GCT WEHR SINGAPORE Thursday
OT FEDERAL FRANKLIN Thursday