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Maritime Exchange study examines business at Delaware River ports

Port of Wilmington

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay released  a study this week looking at the state of ports along the river, including in the First State.

 

 

The study assessed cargo handled, revenues generated and jobs sustained by private and public marine terminals in Delaware, Southern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“Not surprisingly, we found that petroleum and petroleum products are the single biggest generator for the Tri-State region. And in the event of an incident, we want to make sure that those facilities are brought back to full operation as soon as possible,” said Lisa Himber, vice president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay.

Himber says breakbulk/project cargo, fruit, steel, automobiles, dry bulk, forest products and scrap steel round out the top 10 revenue producers for the ports.

The Exchange last commissioned a similar study in 2010.

Himber says since then, Delaware River ports have added 8,702 new direct and indirect jobs and another 46,790 related jobs from growth in cargo activity.

 

And total economic output at the ports has increased by $21-billion over the last eight years,

The study was conducted by Martin Associates in Lancaster, PA and funded through the Federal Port Security Grant Program.

 

The findings of the report will inform post-incident decisions made to return the port to full operations following an incident.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.