U.S. Ports Move Almost 1.2 Billion Tons Of Foreign Trade Per Year, DOT Reports

Contact BTS 26-02 Roger Lotz 202-366-2246

Tuesday, November 5, 2002 -- Almost 1.2 billion tons of waterborne foreign trade moved through seaports in the United States in 2000, according to Maritime Trade & Transportation 2002, a new report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Waterborne foreign trade reached its highest level in recent years in August 2000 when almost 105 million metric tons were imported and exported.

"Maritime Trade & Transportation 2002 confirms the critical role that the Maritime Transportation System plays in our nation's economy," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta said. "The maritime transportation system is one of the nation's vital links — with about 90 percent of our overseas international trade tonnage and a significant portion of domestic trade carried by water."

The report notes significant regional differences in U.S. waterborne foreign trade:

• The Far West—California, Oregon and Washington—ranks first in container traffic because of the heavy use of containers in trade with Asia
• The Southwest—Texas—ranks first for tanker traffic because of the use of tankers in trade with Latin America.
• The Southeast—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia—ranks first for dry-bulk traffic because of heavy dry bulk trade with Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin America.
• Great Lakes maritime trade is primarily dry bulk and generates more than $4.3 billion in total personal income

Maritime Trade & Transportation 2002 was a cooperative effort led by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Contributing to the report were the Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., DOT agencies that are members of the department's Maritime Data Group sponsored by BTS.

The focus of the study is on the Maritime Transportation System's (MTS) significant contributions to U.S. economic growth, global competitiveness and national security objectives. This report also includes information regarding trade, shipbuilding, waterborne transportation, environmental issues, national security and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

The Maritime Administration issued a second report today, Intermodal Access to U.S. Ports, which assesses roadway, rail and waterside access at 70 U.S. ports.

To order a free copy of Maritime Trade & Transportation 2002, contact BTS by phone at 202-366-DATA (press 1), by fax at 202-366-3197, by e-mail at answers@bts.gov or by mail sent to Product Orders, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Room 3103, Washington, DC 20590. Additionally, the report may be ordered at http://www.bts.gov/btsprod.