Overseas Cargo Volume Climbs at Port of Milwaukee

The Port of Milwaukee saw an increase of 34.5% in the amount of cargo traveling to and from foreign ports in 2012. The final numbers show 210,406 metric tons of cargo went through either the St. Lawrence Seaway or by the inland river system to overseas ports.

Typical cargo moving by ship through the Port of Milwaukee includes steel that is used locally in manufacturing and large finished goods that are shipped around the world.

“The Port of Milwaukee serves businesses in our region by providing cost effective ways to move raw materials and finished goods,” Port Operations and Trade Director Paul Vornholt said. “An increase in this measure of foreign trade suggests both positive economic trends and a greater appreciation of what the Port of Milwaukee offers.”

In 2012, for the first time in decades, Milwaukee had U.S. flagged cargo vessels carry locally made goods overseas. The Maersk-Illinois transported two P&H mining shovels destined for Siberia and the BBC Houston carried a third shovel.

Overall, the Port of Milwaukee saw a decline in total cargo tonnage in 2012. That decline was the direct result of mild weather in the winter of 2011-2012 which led to smaller volumes of both salt and coal arriving at the Port.

The Port of Milwaukee is an economic entity of city government that is governed by the seven-member Board of Harbor Commissioners, a panel appointed by Mayor Tom Barrett and confirmed by the Common Council. It administers operations on the 467 acres that make up the Port. In addition to promoting shipping and commerce, the Port of Milwaukee is the grantee of Foreign Trade Zone #41 which adds economic benefits to companies involved in international trade.