Wilmington NC Ports Drive Business & Industry

North Carolina’s Ports in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus inland terminals in Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad in Greensboro, link the state’s consumers, businesses and industry to world markets and serve as magnets to attract new business and industry while receiving no direct taxpayer subsidy. Port activities contribute statewide to 65,000 jobs and $500 million each year in state and local tax revenues.

With state-of-the-art Panamax container cranes, more powerful container handling equipment, updated cargo management technology and readily available modern transit and warehouse facilities, our port is an attractive one for international trade. In fiscal year 2014, a total of 4,212,365 tons of goods moved through the Port of Wilmington. Top trading partners for 2014 in order were China, South Korea, Brazil, Belgium and Turkey.

The top five imports in fiscal 2014 were grains, chemicals, fertilizers, machine parts, and metal products. The top five exports were forest products, wood pulp, wood chips, general merchandise and food.

The Port of Wilmington experienced growth in two commodities central to NC’s agricultural community with the import of UAN, a liquid fertilizer solution, and the importation of grains used mainly as pork and poultry feed in North Carolina.

N.C. Ports are focused on investing in its facilities for future growth. The Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvement Study serves as one such project with an immediate need for current and future customers of the Port of Wilmington. There is every reason to believe that the Port of Wilmington will continue to grow and expand.

All in all, the Wilmington area is a place to believe in and invest in. Whatever businesses need, the Wilmington area can provide. The future looks very bright.