Port of South Louisiana

The Port of South Louisiana is located on the Mississippi River in Laplace, Louisiana, United States. It is the largest volume shipping port in the Western Hemisphere and the largest for exporting grain. The Port of South Louisiana is also the largest bulk cargo port in the world. The Port of South Louisiana includes the following parishes: St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, and Plaquemines. The Port of South Louisiana is served by five Class I railroads and multiple short-line railroads. It has direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Port of South Louisiana has a deep-water draft that can accommodate vessels up to 50 feet (15 meters) draft. The Port of South Louisiana has 52 million square feet (4.8 million square meters) of covered storage and more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) of wharf space.

In order to ship cargo through the Port of South Louisiana, shippers must comply with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements. All shipments must be appropriately documented and declared, and shippers must have a valid shipping permit. The port has its police force, the Port of South Louisiana Police Department, which is responsible for security within the port.