Chemical cargoes at Mississippi port up 28% year to date

05 November 2009 18:17  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Chemical cargoes shipped through the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, have increased 28% so far this year, the port reported on Thursday.

Through 30 September, chemical cargoes totalled 45,195 tonnes, compared with 35,279 tonnes in the first nine months of 2008, said the port's director, Mark McAndrews.

Most of the chemical cargoes came from First Chemical, a DuPont subsidiary in Pascagoula that makes aniline and nitrotoluene intermediates and derivatives, McAndrews said.

Aniline is an intermediate in the production of polyurethane and is also used in rubber processing chemicals, herbicides, dyes and pigments. Nitrotoluene is used to make pigments, antioxidants, agricultural and photographic chemicals.

Pascagoula is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula metropolitan area that forms the southeastern tip of Mississippi on the US Gulf coast.

In 2008, the Pascagoula port handled 829,737 tonnes of cargo, more than 80% comprised of frozen poultry and forest products. This year, the port's cargoes have totalled 552,012 tonnes, down 10% from 612,855 tonnes in the same period last year.

"This is the first quarter that we've shown a decrease," McAndrews said.

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By: Lane Kelley
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