The Ports of Indiana set a cumulative record for first quarter shipments in 2018, handling 3.2 million tons at all three ports.
The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor was the only state port which saw a decrease in shipments year to date, however, port activity is expect to increase as the port handles more than 90 percent of its annual cargo between the spring and late fall once the St. Lawrence Seaway opens to ocean vessels.
The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon led the state in cargo volume. The Mount Vernon port handled 2.2 million tons, which is 6 percent higher than the first quarter of 2017. The port saw record shipments, which included a 16 percent gain in coal, 27 percent increase in grain as well as increases in salt, limestone and soy products.
The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon also saw an increase in multimodal traffic over this time last year, as 1,075 barges, 14,419 rail cars, and 30,995 trucks carried cargoes in and out of the port.
Around the state, the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville saw a 3 percent increase in the first quarter. This was driven by increases in fertilizer, liquid bulk and salt shipments.
