here are more than a dozen official ports in Louisiana ranging in size from small shallow draft bayous to the vast cargo docks at the Port of South Louisiana. These ports handle everything from grain and agricultural exports from the Midwest to petro- chemical imports for the oil refineries in the Southeast. Louisiana's ports handle more than 354 million tons (321 million metric tons) of cargo annually, or an amazing 22 percent of total US exports.
        Last year, the state saw an increase of 7.5 percent in worldwide exports. According to the World Trade Center of New Orleans, the Louisiana export trade accounts for US $9 billion in business. The increase in exports, particularly to Asian markets, signals a recovery for the Pelican State's export industry after several years of a flagging market.
        Louisiana is also keeping its eyes on the future of port activity in the state. With the hopes of increasing international traffic, Louisiana has initiated plans for a Millennium Port, further south along the headwaters of the Mississippi from New Orleans.
        "The Millennium Port would be a huge container cargo port, probably 50 miles (80 kilometers) closer to the Gulf of Mexico than the current Port of New Orleans," says Brian Schwaner, chief communications officer with Metrovision Partnership Foundation, an economic development group for the New Orleans region. "The idea, of course, is to build up the growing trade coming our way from Latin America and to compete with places like Houston and Miami."
        This plan is still in the development phases, but officials agree that the project would involve upgrading rail and road systems in the area. The Millennium Port would be a financial windfall for all of Louisiana's ports due to the increased river traffic. According to officials at the Port of South Louisiana, the Millennium project could benefit the entire region by bringing in more cargo traffic and business to service all the ports up and down the Mississippi.
        "So it's a double-pronged approach," says Schwaner, "It may take 10 to 15 years to develop the port, but it will give us a significant leg up on our competitors, which are Houston, Tampa and to a lesser extent Mobile and Gulfport."

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