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In 2010, the Ports of Indiana’s three ports handled more than 7.7 million tons of cargo, up 8 percent compared with 2009 volume and the highest annual tonnage since 2006.

New freight — such as ethanol, dried-distillers grain and heavy lift cargo — and agricultural-related shipments helped drive the gain. Worldwide demand for local grain helped outbound grain traffic increase 13 percent and inbound fertilizer traffic rise 22 percent, while steel shipments gained momentum from a recovering U.S. manufacturing sector to post a 12 percent year-over-year gain, according to the port agency.
 
“Despite recent economic troubles, this is the third-consecutive year that overall shipments have increased, and this was our second-largest total in 12 years,” said Ports of Indiana Chief Executive Officer Rich Cooper in a prepared statement.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor shipped 14 times more heavy lift cargo in 2010 than in 2009, helping the facility boost overall volume 43 percent to 1.8 million tons. The Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville handled 1.7 million tons of freight, up 27 percent, and Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon recorded its second-highest cargo volume since 1996 at more than 4.2 million tons.