Core Insights - The article discusses the significance of U.S. ports in international trade, highlighting that maritime shipping accounts for 41.5% of the total trade value, amounting to $2.1 trillion in 2023, with exports at 35.5% and imports at 64.5% [3][5][10]. U.S. Port Overview - U.S. ports are categorized into coastal ports, Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway ports, and inland ports, with coastal ports including those on the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast [8][9]. - The major types of cargo transported include containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk, breakbulk, and roll-on/roll-off [3][15]. Cargo Distribution - Dry bulk cargo distribution shows that the Gulf Coast accounts for 42%, the West Coast for 10%, the East Coast for 12%, inland ports for 18%, and the Great Lakes for 16% [3]. - Container distribution indicates that the Gulf Coast holds 8%, the West Coast 41%, and the East Coast 47%, with East Coast ports outperforming West Coast ports [3][27]. Port Performance Metrics - In 2022, U.S. ports handled 2.6 billion short tons of cargo, with domestic cargo at 43%, imports at 25%, and exports at 32% [10]. - The top 25 ports accounted for 71% of the total cargo volume, processing 1.86 billion short tons in 2022, an increase from 1.8 billion short tons in 2021 [35][36]. Major U.S. Ports - The top five ports by total tonnage are Houston Port Authority, South Louisiana Port, Corpus Christi, New York/New Jersey, and Long Beach [38]. - Houston Port is the largest in terms of cargo handling, followed by South Louisiana, which is the largest grain export port in the Western Hemisphere [38]. Export and Import Trends - U.S. exports have steadily increased from 1.16 billion tons in 2014 to 1.741 billion tons in 2023, a growth of 50.1%, primarily driven by Gulf Coast ports [30]. - In contrast, total imports decreased from 1.27 billion tons in 2014 to 1.1 billion tons in 2023, a decline of 13.9%, mainly due to reduced crude oil imports from the Gulf Coast [31]. Key Commodities - Major U.S. exports include natural gas, crude oil, coal, agricultural products, and gasoline, with the Gulf Coast accounting for 70% of the export volume [40][41]. - The primary imports consist of crude oil, non-metallic minerals, electronic products, vehicles, textiles, and machinery, with the East Coast ports handling the largest share of imports [42][43].