Port of New Orleans

What Port of New Orleans does

Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is a Louisiana state port authority founded in 1896, operating as a deep-draft multipurpose gateway at the center of the Lower Mississippi River. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, appointed by the Governor of Louisiana, governs the entity across a three-parish jurisdiction (Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard). Port NOLA runs four primary business lines: containerized and breakbulk cargo handling at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal (operated with Ports America), ocean and river cruise operations, industrial real estate leasing, and administration of Foreign-Trade Zone No. 2 established in 1946. In February 2018, the Port acquired the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) as a wholly owned subsidiary, creating the only U.S. port connected to all six Class I railroads through 14,500 miles of inland waterway access.

The business model is primarily transaction-fee driven through published tariffs covering wharfage, dockage, storage, and rail switching services, supplemented by recurring FTZ user fees, venue rentals, and permitting. Customer segments span global ocean carriers (MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, ZIM operating the Lone Star Express and PEX 3 services), major cruise lines (Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival homeporting vessels), industrial real estate tenants (Freedom Intermodal, New Orleans Cold Storage), and FTZ users across 30+ designated sites. In 2025, cruise operations handled a record 1,067,407 passenger movements (ninth consecutive year above 1 million), while 2019 container volume reached a record 648,538 TEUs. Container-on-barge service is the largest in the U.S. at 30,000 TEUs annually.

Technically, Port NOLA is in the early stages of layering digital infrastructure onto its physical assets. The Port recently deployed the TEID-RDC AI-powered rail clearance platform on Palantir Foundry in partnership with UTC Transoceanic, providing near-immediate clearance determinations for oversized cargo that previously required up to six months of manual engineering study, alongside a digital twin of the NOPB rail network for routing optimization. A 2026 joint venture with Ports America and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL/MSC Group) formed Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC to develop a new container terminal in St. Bernard Parish targeting up to 1.2 million TEUs at full buildout. Combined revenue across Port NOLA and NOPB totals approximately $100 million supporting a combined workforce of nearly 500 employees and over $200 million in active capital projects.

Name

Port of New Orleans

Legal name

Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans

Website

https://portnola.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Port of New Orleans is a Louisiana state port authority operating a deep-draft multimodal gateway for container, breakbulk, and cruise cargo, connecting ocean carriers, cruise lines, and industrial tenants to all six Class I railroads and 14,500 miles of inland waterways via its wholly owned New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port & Maritime Logistics Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Port Dues, Permitting & Regulatory Clearances (TLAHAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deep-Sea Container Terminals (Mainline / Transshipment Hubs) (TLAHAAAA), Inland / River Container Terminals (Barge-Served) (TLAHAAAD), Port Equipment Operations (Crane Operators, RTG/RMG, Straddle Carrier Operations) (TLAHALAE)

Keywords

• Maritime cargo handling
• Container terminal operations
• Cruise port services
• Rail freight switching
• Foreign trade zone

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cargo Operations: Revenue from cargo handling, dockage, wharfage, and storage services at container and breakbulk terminals. The Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America, generating throughput-based fees.
2. Cruise Operations: Revenue from cruise terminal operations including vessel dockage, passenger fees, and related services. Multiple cruise lines pay dockage and throughput fees for homeport and port-of-call operations.
3. Industrial Real Estate: Leasing of port-owned industrial properties, warehouses, and venue rental for events and film productions. Properties include the Port Administration Building, available warehouse space, and private maritime facility sites.
4. Foreign Trade Zone Administration: Administration of Foreign-Trade Zone No. 2 covering 30+ designated usage-driven sites throughout Greater New Orleans. Revenue derived from FTZ user fees and associated services.
5. Rail Operations (NOPB): New Orleans Public Belt Railroad provides switching and rail connectivity services, connecting port facilities with six Class I railroads. NOPB is a wholly owned subsidiary generating rail service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is a deep-draft multipurpose public port authority operating container and breakbulk cargo terminals, cruise terminals, and industrial real estate along the Lower Mississippi River. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), the port provides rail switching services connecting to all six Class I railroads. Revenue is generated primarily through cargo handling fees (dockage, wharfage, storage), cruise terminal operations, rail service fees, industrial property leasing, and Foreign-Trade Zone No. 2 administration.

Product overview

Port NOLA operates as a multi-modal gateway offering integrated logistics solutions across cargo, rail, cruise, and industrial real estate. Core cargo operations include the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal (handling containers) and breakbulk/project cargo services. The TEID-RDC AI-powered rail clearance platform provides advanced routing optimization for oversized cargo. Rail connectivity is delivered through the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, the only U.S. port connected to all six Class I railroads. Container-on-barge service provides environmental intermodal options. Cruise operations include ocean vessels from multiple major cruise lines and river cruise boats. Supporting services include Foreign-Trade Zone No. 2, permitting, and venue rentals. The Louisiana International Terminal project will add a second container terminal in St. Bernard Parish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal Container terminal operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America, handling containerized cargo including 648,538 TEUs in 2019 with ongoing $100 million expansion including new 100-foot-gauge container gantry cranes. Serves ocean carriers and beneficial cargo owners handling containerized imports and exports.
• Cruise Operations Ocean and river cruise terminal operations from Port NOLA, achieving 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements in 2025 (ninth consecutive year exceeding 1 million). Homeports vessels from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Disney Cruise Lines, and American Cruise Lines. Serves cruise lines requiring homeport and port-of-call infrastructure.
• New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) Class III short line railroad and wholly owned subsidiary providing rail switching and connectivity services for port and local industry customers. Connects businesses to all six Class I railroads and serves as the only U.S. port with this full Class I rail connectivity.
• Foreign-Trade Zone No. 2 Foreign-Trade Zone administered by Port NOLA Board of Commissioners since 1946, with 30+ designated usage-driven sites throughout Greater New Orleans. Offers duty elimination on exports, duty inversion, duty deferral until merchandise enters U.S. commerce, reduced merchandise processing fees, and quota management flexibility for importers and manufacturers.
• TEID-RDC AI-Powered Rail Clearance Platform AI-powered rail clearance platform built on Palantir Foundry that enables near-immediate clearance determinations for oversized cargo (power transformers, wind turbine components, industrial generators). Allows shippers to input cargo dimensions through a customer-facing application and receive routing recommendations, replacing manual engineering studies that previously took weeks to months.
• Permitting Services Work permits for berthing, construction, venue rental, filmmaking, and other activities on Port NOLA property. Includes jurisdictional permitting for riparian landowners' buildings on batture and banks of navigable rivers within Port NOLA's three-parish jurisdiction (Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes). No application fee; insurance minimums apply.
• Venue Rentals Event venues and film industry locations along the Mississippi River and Inner Harbor. Includes Port Administration Building with 207-seat Auditorium ($2,500), 25-seat Conference space, Plaza ($5,000; 37,720 S.F.; max 500 capacity), and Lobby ($1,500; 2,100 S.F.; max 115 reception). Used for weddings, business events, and film productions.
• Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) Proposed container terminal in St. Bernard Parish designed to accommodate the largest container vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. Joint venture between Port NOLA, Ports America, and TiL (MSC Group). Initial capacity projected at 180,000-280,000 containers annually, scaling to 1.2 million containers at full buildout over up to 25 years.
• Container-on-Barge Service Environmental and cost-efficient intermodal service repositioning containers from Memphis to Baton Rouge, loading plastic resins, and shipping via barge to Port NOLA for export. Largest container-on-barge service in the United States, operating twice weekly in partnership with SEACOR AMH.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements in 2025 (ninth consecutive year exceeding 1 million)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Freedom Intermodal Tank ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Port NOLA and NOPB announced expansion of Freedom Intermodal's operations with new bulk liquid packaging facility in New Orleans East. Leverages NOPB's six-Class I railroad connectivity to provide integrated logistics solutions for bulk liquid shippers.
• UTC TransoceaniccoreTechnology or Integration · 28 May 2026Port NOLA and NOPB partnered with newly formed logistics company UTC Transoceanic (joint venture between New Orleans-based Transoceanic and Houston-based UTC Overseas) to deploy AI-powered rail clearance technology (TEID-RDC) and digital twin of the NOPB rail network on the Palantir Foundry platform. First port to deploy this technology for oversized cargo clearance.
• Ports AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025Joint venture partner with Port NOLA and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) to form Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC for operating the proposed Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish. Ports America is a leading terminal operator.
• Terminal Investment Limited (TiL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025Joint venture partner (part of MSC Group) with Port NOLA and Ports America to form Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC for operating the Louisiana International Terminal project designed to accommodate largest container vessels in Gulf of Mexico.
• New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Wholly owned subsidiary of Port NOLA (acquired effective Feb 1, 2018) providing Class III railroad switching services. NOPB connects Port NOLA with all six Class I railroads serving North America, providing unique competitive advantage.
• PalantircoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider for AI-powered rail clearance and digital twin solutions. Palantir Foundry data platform powers the TEID-RDC system deployed at Port NOLA.
• Kansas City Southern (KCS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClass I railroad partner providing weekly intermodal service between New Orleans and Dallas (Wylie, Texas) market, relaunched in May 2018. KCS service contributed to 22.7% intermodal growth in FY2019.
• SEACOR AMHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperator of container-on-barge service between Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Memphis. Service repositions containers loaded with plastic resins for export through Port NOLA. Largest container-on-barge service in the country.
• New Orleans & CompanymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDestination marketing organization and tourism partner collaborating on cruise marketing, Sail 250 event, and regional tourism promotion. Jointly promotes cruise departures and visitor spending impact.
• Louisiana Economic DevelopmentmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerState economic development agency partner supporting Port infrastructure projects, workforce development, and business attraction efforts.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alabama Port Authority (Port of Mobile): Major Gulf Coast container and breakbulk port competing for the same ocean carrier and shipper base. Recent intermodal container terminal expansion directly targets the same trade lanes as Port NOLA.
• Georgia Ports Authority (Port of Savannah): Largest single-terminal container facility in North America and a top U.S. container gateway. Competes for East Coast/Gulf transshipment volume and serves many of the same ocean carrier customers (MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM).
• Port Houston: Largest Gulf container port and primary direct competitor for containerized cargo and breakbulk on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Operates the Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals with significant Class I rail connectivity.
• Virginia Port Authority (Port of Virginia): Mid-Atlantic container port operating Norfolk International Terminals and Newport News Marine Terminal. Competes for East Coast/Gulf container volume and inland Midwest distribution via Class I rail.
• South Carolina Ports Authority (Port of Charleston): Atlantic container port with growing container volumes and inland rail connectivity. Targets similar inland U.S. markets as Port NOLA via Class I rail and competes for the same ocean carrier service calls.

Regional players

• Port of Beaumont: Texas Gulf port specializing in military, liquid bulk, and breakbulk cargo. Regional competitor for breakbulk and project cargo that overlaps with Port NOLA's Napoleon Avenue terminal.
• Port of Greater Baton Rouge: Upriver Mississippi port partnering with Port NOLA on the SEACOR AMH container-on-barge service. Adjacent Gulf competitor for petrochemical and resin export flows feeding the same global container network.
• Port Tampa Bay: Florida-based Gulf port handling containers, breakbulk, and cruise passengers. Overlaps with Port NOLA in cruise tourism and bulk cargo, but with smaller container volumes and different hinterland.

Broad incumbents

• Port of Los Angeles: Largest U.S. container port by volume and a broad incumbent in North American container shipping. While West Coast-focused, it competes for trans-Pacific and inland distribution cargo that Port NOLA also targets.
• Port of Long Beach: Second-largest U.S. container port and a San Pedro Bay complex partner. Competes with Port NOLA for ocean carrier alliance calls, particularly on Asia trade lanes via all-water Gulf services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PortNOLA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF68Sxma69NmnAlD_YrJHyQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewOrleansPort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/port-of-new-orleans
• Instagraminstagram.com/portnola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Port of New Orleans