Public Port Finance Survey - Maritime Administration

Maritime AdministrationPublic PortFinance SurveyforFY 2006December 2008

Cover: Ports of Los Angeles & Long BeachMaritime Administration file photo: West Coast TourPhotographer—Shannon M. Russell

Public PortFinance Survey FY 2006December 2008U.S. Department of TransportationMaritime AdministrationOffice of Intermodal System Development

Should you have questions or comments concerning this report, please contact:Maritime AdministrationOffice of Intermodal System Development1200 New Jersey Ave., SE (#W21-201, MAR-540)Washington, DC 20590Phone: 202-366-2320Fax: 202-366-6988E-mail: ports.marad@dot.govTo learn more about the Maritime Administration or the maritime industry, visitour web site at www.marad.dot.gov.

TABLE OF CONTENTSPageIntroduction . 1Participating Ports . 2Definitions of Terms . 3Operating Status . 3Port Type . 3Ratios Used in Report. 4FY 2006 Data Tables . 5North & South Atlantic . 6Gulf . 10North & South Pacific & Great Lakes (inc. Canada) . 14Appendix: FY 2006 AAPA Port Finance Survey Questionnaire . A-1

INTRODUCTIONThis report is the result of a cooperative effort between the Maritime Administration andthe American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). It was prepared by the MaritimeAdministration, using financial information furnished by AAPA.This is the only report of its kind in the port industry that covers U.S. and Canadianports. It has been compiled for 28 years, first by AAPA or a member port and now, forthe ninth year, by the Maritime Administration. The survey data were obtained by AAPAfrom its U.S. and Canadian corporate membership. AAPA’s U.S. members representvirtually all the major U.S. deep-draft coastal and Great Lakes ports. Public portagencies own approximately one-third of the U.S. deep-draft marine terminal facilities.The report contains financial data on maritime activities at ports, including the incomestatement, balance sheet, outstanding bonds, debt service, sales offices, and cargotonnage. Two additional sections cover data on ratio analyses and contributions,donations, and grants received in fiscal year 2006.It is important to note two characteristics about the data in this report (A) theyrepresent fiscal year (FY) data, and (B) ports have different fiscal years. (A fiscal yearis defined as a 12-month period used to calculate annual financial reports. Forexample, a fiscal year ending June 30 extends from July 1 of one year to June 30 of thefollowing year.) The table below shows the different fiscal years for the 38 ports in thisreport.Fiscal YearPort(12 months ending )April 30South LouisianaMassachusetts (Boston), Maryland (Baltimore), Philadelphia,Wilmington (DE), Richmond (VA), North Carolina, SouthJune 30Carolina, Virginia, Gulfport, New Orleans, Port Lavaca, St.Bernard, Portland (OR), Hueneme, Los Angeles, RedwoodCity, San Diego, StocktonJuly 31Port ArthurCanaveral, Everglades, Miami, Alabama, Freeport, OrangeSeptember 30(TX), Long BeachGreater Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Houston, GreaterLafourche, Lake Charles, Seattle, Vancouver USA, ClevelandDecember 31// Halifax (CAN), St. John’s (CAN), Thunder Bay (CAN),Vancouver (CAN)A special appreciation is extended to FY 2006’s 39 contributing ports (of which 35 wereU.S. and 4 were Canadian). The response rate for U.S. ports was 41 percent – namely,35 responded out of a total of 85 AAPA U.S. members. The response rates for the lastreport, FYs 2004 & 2005 combined, were 36 percent and 38 percent, respectively.To put this report’s response rates in context, the 35 U.S. respondents represented – 18 out of the top 30 U.S. container ports in 2006,17 out of the top 30 U.S. ports in 2006 handling foreign and domestic waterbornecargo.The report is available on the Maritime Administration’s website (link to 2006 portfinance survey). For further information, contact the Maritime Administration; Office ofIntermodal System Development; 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE (#W21-201, MAR-540);Washington, DC 20590; tel: 202-366-2320; fax: 202-366-6988; or email:ports.marad@dot.gov.1

PUBLIC PORT FINANCE SURVEY FOR FY 200639 PARTICIPATING PORTSNORTH & SOUTH ATLANTIC Maryland Port Administration(Baltimore)Massachusetts Port Authority (Boston)Philadelphia Regional Port Authority(PA)Port of Richmond (VA)Port of Wilmington (DE)Canaveral Port Authority (FL)Port Everglades (FL)Port of Miami (FL)North Carolina State Ports AuthoritySouth Carolina State Ports AuthorityVirginia Port AuthorityNORTH & SOUTH PACIFIC & GREATLAKES (includes Canada) Port of Portland (OR)Port of Seattle (WA)Port of Vancouver USA (WA)Port of Hueneme (CA)Port of Long Beach (CA)Port of Los Angeles (CA)Port of Redwood City (CA)San Diego Unified Port District (CA)Port of Stockton (CA)Cleveland-Cuyahoga County PortAuthority (OH)Vancouver Port Authority, BC (CAN)Halifax Port Authority, NS (CAN)St. John’s Port Authority, NL (CAN)Thunder Bay Port Authority, Ont.(CAN)GULF Alabama State Port AuthorityGreater Baton Rouge Port Commission(LA)Port of Corpus Christi Authority (TX)Port of Freeport (TX)Port of Gulfport (Mississippi State PortAuthority)Port of Houston (TX)Greater Lafourche Port Commission (LA)Lake Charles Harbor/Terminal District (LA)Port of New Orleans (LA)Orange County Navigation Port District(TX)Port of Port Arthur (TX)Port of Port Lavaca/Point Comfort (TX)Port of South Louisiana (LA)St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District(LA) 2

DEFINITIONS OF TERMSOPERATING STATUSPorts can be categorized by their type of operation: non-operating, operating, and limitedoperating ports.Non-Operating Ports Basically landlord ports with all port facilities generally[NONOP] leased or preferentially assigned with the lessee orassignee responsible for operating the facilities.Operating Ports Generally provide all port services except stevedoring[OP] with their own employees including, but not limited to,loading and unloading of rail cars and trucks and theoperation of container terminals, grain elevators, andother bulk terminal operations.Limited-Operating Ports Lease facilities to others, but continue to operate one or[LTDOP] more facilities with port employees. These operatedfacilities may be specialized terminals, such as grainelevators, bulk terminals, container terminals, etc.PORT TYPE: U.S. vs. Canadian.U.S.U.S. public ports generally fall into thefollowing categories: Bi-State Authority;State Department, Agency, or Authority;County Department or Authority;Municipal Agency; or Special PurposePort/Navigation District or Authority.The classification of the ports into thesecategories is based on their currentownership and status. For the purposeof this report, special purposeport/navigation districts and authoritiesareseparatelocalgovernmentorganizations that generally are grantedseparate taxing authority with somestatutory ed significant changes inFYs 1998 and 1999 with thepassage of the Canada Marine Act(Act). Changing the relationship ofports with the Crown, the Act nowrequires the designated Canada PortAuthorities (CPA) to pay annualstipends to the federal governmentand payments in lieu of taxes to localgovernments,inadditiontobecoming subject to greater publicscrutiny and accountability. Unlikemany of their U.S. counterparts,CPAs neither have taxing authorityunto themselves nor do they haveaccess to any federal funding. Theyare financially self-sufficient entitiesgoverned by a Board of Directorscomprised of nominees from portuser groups and the three levels ofgovernment (Municipal, Provincial,and Federal). CPAs operate portfacilities as agents of the Crown forcore business activities and areindependent of the Crown for noncore activities.3

RATIOS USED IN REPORTThe ratios presented in this report are among the major categories of ratios used in financialstatement analysis and measure operating performance, short-term liquidity, return oninvestment, capital structure, and asset utilization. Since there are no established benchmarkindustry standards, the ratios presented can best be interpreted by comparison with pastratios of the same port or comparison with other ports having the same characteristics ofoperation and financing.Ratios which measure operating performance include operating ratio, operating margin, netincome to operating revenue (gross sales), and operating income to operating revenue (grosssales). Although not formally adopted as a benchmark in MARAD’s 1997 publication, AnAnalysis of U.S. Public Port Profitability and Self-Sufficiency (1985-1994), it was found that “.itappears that a port could at the present time maintain a profitable status if it could maintainan operating ratio of 85%, provided the interest from its debt load and other expenses did notexceed its operating income plus interest income.”Short-term liquidity ratios include the current ratio and two measures of the quality andliquidity of accounts receivable – (1) the percentage of accounts receivable reserved as baddebts and (2) the collection period for accounts receivable.Three ratios measure return on investment. They are return on total assets; return on netinvestment in plant, property, and equipment after depreciation; and return on investment inplant, property, and equipment before depreciation.Asset utilization is measured by the relationship of operating income to the net investment inplant, property, and equipment.Capital structure is measured by the relationship of long-term debt to total equity.4

FY 2006 DATA TABLES5

NORTH & SOUTH ATLANTIC6

FY 2006 PUBLIC PORT FINANCE SURVEY (US 000s)NORTH & SOUTH ATLANTICOPERATING STATUSPLANNING (Strategic/Marketing/Financial/Development)PORT TYPEMARYLANDMASSACHUSETTS PHILADELPHIAPORTPORT OFPORT AUTHORITY REGIONAL PORTADMINISTRATIONRICHMOND (VA)(BOSTON)AUTHORITY DevStateNONOPAllMunicipalPORT OFWILMINGTON(DE)OPAllSpec PurposePage 7CANAVERALPORTPORTEVERGLADESAUTHORITY (FL)(FL)NONOPAllSpec PurposeNONOPAllCountyNORTHPORT OF MIAMICAROLINA(FL)STATE CAROLINASTATE PORTSAUTHORITYVIRGINIA PORTAUTHORITYOPAllStateLTDOPAllStateINCOME STATEMENTOPERATING OPERATING EXPENSESOperating & Maintenance ExpensesSecurity ExpensesSales Promotion/Trade Development ExpensesAll Other Administration ExpensesDepreciation ExpenseTOTALOPERATING INCOMEOTHER INCOME (EXPENSES)Interest EarnedBond Interest ExpenseTax LeviesContributionsOther ItemsTOTALNET INCOMEBALANCE SHEETASSETSCash & InvestmentsTrade Accounts Receivable (gross)Less: Reserve for Bad DebtsNet Trade Accounts ReceivableOther Current AssetsTOTAL CURRENT ASSETSINVESTMENT IN PLANT, PROPERTY, & EQUIPMENT (PP&E)LandBuildingsOther ImprovementsEquipmentGROSS INVESTMENT IN PP&EAccumulated Depreciation [ALWAYS NEGATIVE!]Contruction in ProgressNET INVESTMENT IN PP&E419,556Restricted AssetsAll Other AssetsTOTAL NT: TOTALS MAY NOT ADD UP DUE TO ROUNDING.