Despite scarce aid for infrastructure, Biden says East Coast ports must expand

[Judi Lynn]

Source: McClatchy News

Despite scarce aid for infrastructure, Biden says East Coast ports must expand
Published: September 10, 2013
By CURTIS TATE — McClatchy Washington Bureau

BALTIMORE -- All of the ports on the East Coast "have to get in the game," Vice President Joe Biden said Monday, and get ready to accept larger cargo ships that will come through an expanded Panama Canal by 2015.

Biden, accompanied by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and several members of Congress, presented a $10 million federal grant to the Port of Baltimore to widen its shipping channel and improve rail access.

"More than ever, we are a maritime nation," the vice president said, also flanked by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and the state's Democratic U.S. senators, Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin.

Baltimore and Norfolk, Va., are the only two East Coast ports that are deep enough for the larger, "post-Panamax" ships, and others may have to catch up. "Post-Panamax" refers to ships larger than the current maximum size limits for the Panama Canal.


Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/09/10/4708619/despite-scarce-aid-for-infrastructure.html#storylink=cpy

[factsarenotfair]

1. Getting us ready for the Trans Pacific Parternship betrayal.

[HooptieWagon]

3. The bigger ships are coming with or without TPP.

Expanding the Canal was in the works before TPP. It will permit container ships that currently can only unload on West Coast to also be able to unload on East Coast. LA port capacity and rail lines are a bottle-neck.

[HooptieWagon]

2. I don't think its entirely accurrate.

That only Baltimore and Norfolk can handle the bigger ships. I suspect Houston, Jacksonville, New York, and Boston all might be able to.
Miami, Port Everglades, and Charleston need dredging. Tampa Bay needs dredging, plus there's a bridge in the way.
I don't know Mobile's status...it might only need minor dredging.
There's probably several ports fighting for container business when Canal expansion is completed.

[happyslug]

4. Most ships will NOT come near Panamax for some years

Last edited Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:15 PM - Edit history (1)

The Port of Louisiana, the largest port in the US by Volume, has a depth of only 14 meter, Ships will be able to go through the Panama Canal to a depth of 17 meters when it is done. That is only a 3 meter difference (12 feet). Sounds like a lot but most ships will not go to 17 meters for 10-20 years, so we will have time.

List of US Ports by Volume:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ports_in_the_United_States

The top four US ports by volume are Louisiana, Houston, New York/New Jersey and Beaumont Texas.




of the top 25 US container ports, six on are the West Coast (including the Top two, Long Beach and Los Angeles), 15 on the East Coast (Including the third, fourth and fifth busiest ports), 3 on the Gulf Coast (#9, 15 and 16 on the list) and one in San Juan PR (#14 on the list).

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/nat_freight_stats/docs/06factsfigures/fig2_9.htm

Only three Container ports export more then they import, New Orleans, Fort Everglades and West Palm Beech Florida.

While the US has a long Coast line, the best way to move fright from the West Coast to the East Coast is via Rail or truck. China has only one coast, so it does a lot of shipping by ocean going ship between its own ports. This is even more true of Europe for Europe has a large coast line compared to its total area. Rail is important in Europe, but more important Poland and Eastward then West of Poland (i.e. very important in Russia, less important in Germany, England and France, who all depend on ocean going ships and internal Canals to a much higher degree then the rest of the World).

Just to point out a lot of China container ports shipments are to other Chinese Container ports. Something that we do by truck and rail in the US to a higher degree then they do in China.