Thanks to changes in the way federal port rankings are determined, Indiana's ports have landed No. 1 in inland ports and No. 2 for Great Lakes ports, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The new rules allow for a north and south district in Indiana. The north was ranked No. 2 for Great Lakes ports at 30.3 million tons, and the south at No. 1 for ports on inland rivers at 24.2 million tons, according to the U.S. Coastal and Inland Navigation System 2021 Transportation Facts and Information sheet.
“It’s extremely gratifying to see the new rankings reflect Indiana’s sizable impact on this country’s maritime commerce and the importance of our ports,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb in a press release. “As governor of Indiana, my mission is to increase Indiana’s global competitiveness and our ports play a critical role by bringing the world to Indiana and connecting Indiana to the world.”
Overall, the Northern Indiana Port District ranked No. 20 in the list of largest ports in the country, while the Southern Indiana Port District was 26th.
Holcomb and the Ports of Indiana proposed the new rules.
“This is the culmination of a decade-long effort to ensure Indiana’s robust maritime shipping industry is properly recognized on a national level,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Indiana ranks 12th in the nation for waterborne shipping, but we have never had any ports ranked among the national leaders until now. These rankings now fully recognize how much cargo is shipped through Indiana and elevate the ability of our ports to compete for new business, grant funding and global opportunities for Indiana.”
The southern district includes Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville Ports of Indiana facilities, as well as private terminals along the 350 miles of shoreline along the Ohio River from Posey to Dearborn counties. The northern district includes Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor, private terminals and several steel mills along the state’s 43 miles next to Lake Michigan.
Caption: The Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor is part of the north district in new rankings by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Provided by Ports of Indiana)
