Louisiana’s Port of New Orleans, severely damaged by hurricane Katrina in 2005, has rebounded positively since the hurricane and handled a record number of container ships towards the end of 2010, when 43 vessels called in a single month. Most of the ships were operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Co and Hapag-Lloyd, although Maersk, CMA-CGM and Seaboard also sent vessels to call at the Mississippi River port.
Because of the continuing increase in cargo, two additional container cranes have been purchased for the port at a cost of $26.5 million and are to be installed later this year, while another $11.8 million will be spent on the container storage area.