There are many good reasons to ship through New Orleans, and IFFCBANO works to promote those benefits. New Orleans is connected to 14,500 miles of inland waterways through the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Additionally, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway provides direct access along the Gulf Coast. The Port of New Orleans is the only seaport in the United States to be served by all six Class-One railroads, which allows customers direct access to a 133,000-mile rail network. Importers and exporters using shipping trade lanes via the Port of New Orleans are from Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico, the Middle East, Northern Europe and Africa.
ACE is on the forefront as Customs & Border Protection continues to roll out the automated system through 2016. In preparation for the ACE transition, an ACE seminar, hosted by IFFCBANO was designed to provide outreach to members on the progress of ACE as well as the changes to existing clearance processes. These seminars, in addition to bimonthly meetings with Customs and Border Protection, continue to cultivate a healthy, open communicative relationship with CBP which is vital during the transition to ACE and the Single Window. IFFCBANO, in partnership with CBP, will host another educational seminar focusing on the PGA’s role in ACE and the Single Window concept later this year.
IFFCBANO has active representation within industry work groups such as the Port of New Orleans, the World Trade Center of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission. Maintaining a strong relationship with these organizations ensures that our industry is well represented on transportation issues in the state of Louisiana.
IFFCBANO continues to keep the focus on the horizon to see what opportunities may arise.
