Ports: Milwaukee opens ag export facility; Houston, SC log steady June

The DeLong Co. Inc. this week opened a $40 million agricultural maritime export facility at Port Milwaukee.

Located on the west side of Jones Island, the facility will be one of the first of its kind on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System to handle various agricultural commodities via truck, rail and vessel, DeLong officials said in a press release.

The facility will open Wisconsin’s maritime and ag economies to new international markets, with future service potentially including the export of Wisconsin-grown soybeans, corn and grain. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) estimates the facility will increase exports moving through Port Milwaukee by up to 400,000 metric tons annually, DeLong officials said.

The facility was funded in part by a federal Port Infrastructure Development Program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, with additional funding from WisDOT, DeLong and the port.

The port is served by Union Pacific Railroad and Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

Meanwhile, Port Houston and the South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports) — which oversees the Port of Charleston and two inland ports — revealed steady cargo volumes for June.

Houston handled 315,983 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month for a total 1.8 million TEUs handled in the first six months of 2023, port officials said in a press release. Total cargo volumes during that period are down 2% from 2022, a record-breaking year, they added.

Port Houston is served by the Port Terminal Railroad Association, which consists of the port authority, Houston Belt & Terminal Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

SC Ports recorded 203,091 TEUs and 112,883 pier containers in June, up 3% compared with June 2022 volumes. Retail, advanced manufacturing, automotive and cold storage continue to drive growth at Charleston, port authority officials said in a press release.

Additionally, both rail-served inland ports handled record June volumes. Port Dillon recorded 4,048 rail moves, up 139% YOY, while Port Greer logged its busiest June ever at 14,887 rail moves, up 24%.

SC Ports is served by CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway.