Maritime Administration: US port calls rose 13% in 2010
Vessel calls at U.S. ports increased 13 percent last year as the country recovered from the worst recession in decades, the Maritime Administration said Wednesday, the Journal of Commerce reported.
Marad’s 2010 “snapshot” of maritime traffic said 7,579 oceangoing ships made 62,747 port calls in the United States, up 13 percent from a year earlier. That traffic had declined 8 percent in 2009 from 2008.
“The encouraging rebound in oceangoing vessels is a sign that President Obama’s economic policies are working,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “We’re committed to supporting policies that will build on this momentum so that the maritime industry will continue to grow and create American jobs.”
The breakdown by vessel type shows the 2010 traffic was split about equally between tankers, container ships and other ship types, including dry bulk, general cargo and roll-on roll-off vessels.