| Port History In the late 16th Century, attempts to colonize America failed. But in 1606, King James I chartered the Virginia Companie of London. In 1607, settlers landed at what is now Jamestown, and the Virginia Companie's profit-making venture began. When the British King issued a second charter increasing landholdings, commerce and trade flourished. The first export left the colony in 1614 when tobacco was shipped to England. Two years later, the colony shipped 2300 pounds of tobacco to England, and within four years, the shipment increased twentyfold. Port Commerce An independent city and port in southeastern Virginia, the Port of Norfolk lies on the Elizabeth River at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Port Authority owns the Port of Norfolk International Terminals, Newport News Marine Terminal, Portsmouth Marine Terminal and the Virginia Inland Port, in Front Royal. These four facilities, combined, make up The Port of Virginia. Virginia's mid-Atlantic location offers shippers easy access to the mainland. Virginia boasts the best natural deepwater harbor on the East Coast. Fifty-foot deep channels have room enough for the largest container ships. Just 18 miles from the open sea, the ice-free harbor of Virginia Inland Port is open year-round. Port of Norfolk International Terminals is the largest terminal and home to the world's largest container cranes. They can move forty 50-ton containers in an hour. A recent addiction effectively doubled the cargo-handling capacity of the terminal. In 2003, the Port of Norfolk was the Nation's sixth busiest waterborne freight gateway for international trade. It ranked 15th in the country, moving $29 billion of international freight and over 24 million tons of international merchandise through the Port of Norfolk, including 15 million tons of exports and 9 million tons of imports. Over 700 vessels called at the Port of Norfolk, 73% container and 13% dry-bulk. |
