Port of Mobile major player for future of nation’s supply chain, Alabama’s economic development
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Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
The United States has been suffering through the pandemic, inflation and a spike in violent crime. One of the other major issues that has challenged this country has been the supply chain problems with delivering products across the nation.
The good news is Alabama is now earning the reputation as one of the go-to states for cargo ships to land.
This past July the Alabama Port Authority in Mobile broke a record in the number of cargo containers moving through the facility, which is 12% higher than in 2021. In addition, that same month there was almost a 36% increase in dry and refrigerated goods and an 185% increase in intermodal cargo being handled through Mobile.
Alabama has always had a geographic advantage being in the heart of the Southeast and Gulf Coast, but now the infrastructure is in place to really establish the Port of Mobile as one of the premier shipping locations in the United States.
With the delays in other ports around the country, Mobile is attracting more shippers to the state because of these attributes. There is work to continue the expansion with a deeper and wider ship channel in Mobile Bay by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition, construction to increase railroad connections from the port north are underway. This is on top of the millions that have been spent on new cranes and docks at the facility to upgrade the port to handle more business. All of this work at the port will attract even more shipping companies to Alabama as the destination of choice to move their goods.
The United States must improve its supply chain for businesses to distribute their products. With the enhancements at Mobile’s Port, expect to see Alabama’s reputation as a destination of choice for shippers gain even more traction in the future.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be followed on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco.