Major U.S Ports Makeovers

Favourable economic conditions and an influx of megaships has driven ports across the U.S to invest in technology and infrastructure.

- Laura Close

A tremendous amount of our goods in the U.S.—and 90 percent globally—are imported and exported via the oceans, a medium we’ve been relying on for hundreds of years to get our goods where we need and want them to go.

The last few years, however, have been unprecedented. As of this writing, favorable economic conditions have led to an increase in demand for cargo shipping.

U.S. imports have risen almost 19 percent since 2012, and many of the top 20 ports by import volume in the country have seen close to a 30 percent increase in import traffic. In 2016, these 20 ports handled a majority of port traffic—97 percent—in regards to imports.

Experts can study and predict performance and upcoming trends of local, national, and global economies at the threshold of these ports: from a fluctuation in volume of commodities to the growing size of shipping vessels, each and every data point at the entrance of ports is providing insight into current and future trends.

Currently, this increase in activity at U.S. ports is being mirrored around the world. The Panama Canal expansion—which was started in 2007 and wrapped up in 2016 and was built to accommodate the super-sized cargo ships that are becoming the norm—was a major driver for investments in port infrastructure the world over. The market here at home responded in kind with a slew of U.S. port upgrades.

TECHNOLOGY AT PLAY

To understand the need for U.S. port upgrades that are planned or taking place right now, first it’s important to grasp the technology that’s at play.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and differential global positioning systems (DGPS) have created an environment that supports accurate, real-time information. These tech points are key for running a port efficiently, allowing precision timing of when cargo will arrive and be available for pickup.