WASHIGTON: The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled close to 2.6 million tons of cargo in 2016, marking its third highest tonnage in 10 years and completing the best three-year total in its history, port officials said. More than 8.6 million tons have been handled at the Burns Harbor port since 2014, officials said.”Fourth quarter shipments were especially strong for us and included two export ships of Indiana grain, raw materials for the steel industry as well as several large-dimensional cargoes,” Port director Rick Heimann said. Major cargoes included steel, limestone, carbon products, grain and iron ore. Grain shipments were up 57 percent from 2015 while coal was up 11 percent. Mineral and oil shipments increased 19 percent.
Port officials were reluctant to judge how President Donald Trump’s proposed trade policies, including tariffs on imported goods, would affect the port. Rich Allen, its director of communications, said the consensus was, “It’s too early in the Trump Administration to tell. “We’re taking a wait and see stance,” Allen said. Other highlights of 2016 at the port included an $8 million expansion of Ratner Steel, a significant spike in large cargoes and nearly $2.5 million in port improvements.”Watching the Ratner Steel expansion take shape is especially encouraging because it further demonstrates that by using the port’s strategic location and multimodal capabilities, a company can gain a competitive advantage and grow its business,” Heimann said.
Minnesota-based Ratner Steel is adding 100,000 square feet to load and unload steel shipments. The $8 million expansion was announced in 2016 and is expected to be completed by March. The company produces carbon sheet steel for service centers and the manufacturing of agricultural and transportation products.The port’s ability to handle heavy-lift cargoes continues to attract project cargoes from world markets, port officials said. Shipments of large-dimensional cargoes were up nearly 25 percent last year. Shipments included multiple large cranes and containers of crane components from Europe for intermodal yards around the Midwest, storage tanks destined for manufacturers and wind tower components and blades.
