Ports of Louisiana: Driving Regional Growth, National Impact

Ports of Louisiana: Driving Regional Growth, National Impact

Louisiana is no stranger to port success. With eight deep draft ports, 32 shallow draft ports, 2,800 miles of navigable waterways, and a strategic location at the mouth of the Mississippi River, Louisiana stands as one of the most influential players in the U.S. port and trade system.

“The scale of Louisiana’s port system is staggering,” said Mandi Mitchell, President & CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and Vice President of the Louisiana Economic Alliance for Development.

According to Mitchell, nearly 20% of all U.S. cargo moves through Louisiana, representing more than 500 million tons of goods – crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals, bulk chemicals, plastics, resins, steel, aluminum, cement, forest products, heavy machinery – and a whopping 60% of U.S. grain exports. The economic impact is equally significant: one in five Louisiana jobs are supported by Louisiana’s ports, while hundreds of thousands of jobs across the Midwest and South rely on them to connect farmers, manufacturers, and energy companies to international markets.

Mitchell credits much of the success of the ports, and the EDO’s collaborative partnership with them, to Louisiana leadership.

“Under the leadership of Governor Jeff Landry and Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Louisiana’s economic development organizations (EDOs) have strengthened partnerships with the state’s ports through LED’s ‘whole of government’ approach,” Mitchell said.

This coordinated strategy has enabled closer collaboration between EDOs, state leaders, and port executives. Notably, efforts led by Julia Fisher Cormier – now Deputy Secretary of DOTD’s Office of Transformation and a member of the Louisiana Board of International Commerce – helped launch a unified marketing strategy among the five Lower Mississippi River ports, enhancing visibility and competitiveness in global markets.

A major contributor to Louisiana’s port success is its vast network of inland river ports on the Mississippi, Red, Ouachita, Atchafalaya, and other waterways. Mitchell called these assets “one of the state’s greatest competitive advantages.” By providing manufacturers, farmers, and distributors with seamless connections to deepwater ports, inland facilities reduce transportation costs, support smaller and mid-sized communities, and strengthen the state’s role in global commerce.

“Barges, in particular, move bulk commodities such as grain, coal, chemicals, and aggregates far more cheaply than rail or truck, giving Louisiana industries a significant cost advantage,” Mitchell said.

The river ports extend Louisiana’s reach beyond the state’s borders, supporting industry in neighboring Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. “Louisiana serves as the logistics hub of the Lower Mississippi Valley, strengthening both state and regional competitiveness in global trade,” said Mitchell.

“Louisiana’s water access is indispensable to the U.S. port system and the broader economy,” Mitchell emphasized. “Without them, the nation’s exports would slow, costs would rise, and supply chains would face serious disruptions. Louisiana’s role is not simply regional – it is foundational to America’s economic competitiveness on the world stage.”