b'NOVEMBER 21 - DECEMBER 18, 2022 NORTH AMERICAS TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS NEWSPAPER 27Breakbulk continues growth in 2022, but how long can it last? BREAKBULK QUARTERLYImprovements in container conditions may stem the flight to breakbulk, but not in the short run.By Peter Buxbaum, AJOTThesupply-chaincon- tenant,itwashardtowalk straints,spikingrates,andawayfrombreakbulk,said containerdislocationsasso- AlbertoCabrera,theports ciatedwiththeCOVID-19sales director. The port has pandemic saw some cargoesa strategy of keeping diverse switching to breakbulk fromcargoesflowingthroughthe containersinrecentyears.port, and JAXPORTs break-That trend has continued intobulk volumes of frozen poul-2022, as seen by the growthtry,woodpulp,andlumber in breakbulk business at portshave shown increases. around the country.ThePortofVancouver, FromthePacificNorth- Washington,pickeduptwo westtotheGulfofMexiconew breakbulk customers, ship-andupanddowntheEastpingaluminumandbagged Coast, some ports have seensulfites, in the last year, each double digit, and, in the casebringinganadditionalvessel of some cargoes, triple-digit,per month to the port. Thats breakbulkgrowthspikesina fantastic shot in the arm for recent months. The question,(LASTcontinued on as is often the case with shiftspage 31)in cargo patterns, is whether thatgrowthissustainable. Decreasesincontainervol-umesandratessuggestthat aneasingofcontainercon-ditions is on the horizon, but thesupply-chaincrisiswill likely not be resolved in the short run.c oMModitiesb oostb reakbulkBreakbulk growth in com-moditiessuchasiron,steel, rubber, and forest products has beenseeninGeorgiaports, which reported a 28% increase inMay.SeattleandTacoma, of the Northwest Seaport Alli-ance, have shattered breakbulk recordsinrecentmonths,as containervolumesdecreased. Volumeshavegrown34.3% this year through August, and Julywasarecord-breaking monthforbreakbulkcargo handledatNWSA-operated breakbulk terminals. Imported steel is leading a breakbulk surge at the Port of New Orleans, where volumes morethandoubledduring fiscal year 2022, growing by 123%.Rubber,plywood, and breakbulk coffeevolumes have alsoseenincreases.Theport, said CEO Brandy Christian, is being sought as an alternative forshippersseekingtomiti-gate their exposure to container shipping challenges.Thesamephenomenon was noticed by Jeff Theobald, the executive director of the Port of Philadelphia, who said that some shippers shifted to breakbulklastyear.Break-bulk steel volumes at the port were up 196% in 2021, and cocoa went up 106%. AtthePortofJackson-ville,whichhasemphasized itscontainerandautobusi-nessesinrecentdecades, breakbulkvolumealsosaw increasesduringCOVID-19. The paper company UPM has been moving large volumes of glossypaperthroughalarge on-dock breakbulk warehouse in Jacksonville for decades.Withthatanchorofa'