The U.S. marine transportation system handles large volumes of domestic and international freight in support of the Nation's economic activities. As a vital part of that system, the Nation's container ports handle cargo and are sources of employment, revenue, and taxes for businesses or communities where they are located. This book provides an overview of the movement of maritime freight handled by the Nation's container ports. It summarizes trends in maritime freight movement since 1995, and covers the impact of the recent U.S. and global economic downturn on container traffic; trends in container throughput; concentration of containerized cargo at the top U.S. ports; regional shifts in cargo handled, vessel calls, and port capacity and the rankings of U.S. ports among the world's top ports Also discussed are summaries of landside access to container ports and maritime security initiatives.

The U.S. marine transportation system handles large volumes of domestic and international freight in support of the Nation's economic activities. As a vital part of that system, the Nation's container ports handle cargo and are sources of employment, revenue, and taxes for businesses or communities where they are located. This book provides an overview of the movement of maritime freight handled by the Nation's container ports. It summarizes trends in maritime freight movement since 1995, and covers the impact of the recent U.S. and global economic downturn on container traffic; trends in container throughput; concentration of containerized cargo at the top U.S. ports; regional shifts in cargo handled, vessel calls, and port capacity and the rankings of U.S. ports among the world's top ports Also discussed are summaries of landside access to container ports and maritime security initiatives.