Port of South Louisiana
The Port of South Louisiana (PortSL), located between New Orleans, Louisiana and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sprawling along 54 miles of the Lower Mississippi River, is one of the largest tonnage ports in the Western Hemisphere. PortSL is not only the highest grain exporter in the United States [over 50 percent of the nation’s grain (47.8M tons in 2022)], it is also ranked third in both exports and imports. With over 27M tons of crude oil imports per year, three major oil refineries, and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, PortSL has been ranked the number two energy transfer port in the nation. PortSL also operates one of the most active Foreign Trade Zone (#124) in the country (ranked 4th). With 12 zones, it received over $34.6 billion in merchandise and facilitated the employment of over 9,407 in 2020.
The Port of South Louisiana has one of North America’s largest concentration of heavy manufacturers, a reflection of its strategic location, comparative market access, and highly skilled labor pool. It envelops the parishes (counties) of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James, collectively named the River Region. It lies at the intersection of the Mississippi River [45 feet (13.7 meters) navigational depth] and the Gulf of Mexico and an intermodal transportation network of waterways, roadways, railways, and air, featuring access to four interstate highways, four Class I railroads, the Louis Armstrong International Airport (KMSY), and Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport (KAPS).
Along both banks of the river, more than 50 piers and docks owned and operated by an impressive group of industry that includes ADM, Dow, Cargill, Valero, Bunge, Marathon, Shell, and Nucor Steel reside within the district. The region continues to attract billions of dollars of investment ($23.262 billion in the last 10 years) by companies within, but not limited to, the petrochemical, fertilizer, and logistics industries. PortSL contributes $1.8 billion in income, $14.4 billion in revenue, and $72.5 million in state and local taxes and handles over $83 billion in trade annually that supports over 30 thousand direct jobs (6 out of 10 jobs) in the River Region.
PortSL has its headquarters is in Reserve, Louisiana.
Please learn more here or contact IRPT Member:
Paul Matthews, Executive Director/CEO
Post Office Box AE
1720 LA Highway 44
Reserve, LA 70084
(985) 652-9278
pmatthews@portsl.com