Port NOLA Hits Record April Container Volume in 3 Years

NEW ORLEANS (Day.News) — The Port of New Orleans announced record container volumes for April 2026, marking the highest monthly throughput in three years and signaling robust economic momentum for Louisiana. Building on first-half 2025 figures of 263,961 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) — up 2% year-over-year and 9% from late 2024 — the port's latest surge reflects strengthened ties with trade partners like Brazil (up 35%), Vietnam (up 155%) and Turkey (up 40%). Port Press Secretary Kimberly Curth highlighted schedule reliability at 83%, a sharp improvement driving shipper confidence.

This April peak eclipses the record 133,845 TEUs moved in fiscal year 2024's third quarter, the strongest since 2021 supply chain disruptions. Container-on-barge operations, averaging 30,000 TEUs annually between New Orleans, Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Memphis and St. Louis, further bolstered volumes, with 20,500 barges handled in 2023 alone. The growth spans diverse lines including breakbulk, rail and cruise, contributing billions to Louisiana's GDP and thousands of jobs, as noted in Port NOLA's 2025 State of the Port address.

Looking ahead, a $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) in St. Bernard Parish — funded by $800 million from Ports America and Mediterranean Shipping, plus state and federal sources — promises 2 million TEUs yearly capacity by 2050, with the first berth opening in 2028. Amid national trends of elevated containership capacity into spring 2025, Port NOLA's performance positions Louisiana as a vital Gulf gateway, enhancing regional trade resilience.