Inside the Port: Infrastructure, Growth & the Future of New Orleans with Kristi App скачать в хорошем качестве

Inside the Port: Infrastructure, Growth & the Future of New Orleans with Kristi App

Episode: #444 Hosts: Andy Shiles (  / ashiles  ) & Lalo Solorzano (  / lalosolorzano  ) Guest: Kristi App (  / kristi-app-15820117  ) , Chief Commercial Officer, Port of New Orleans Published: February 2026 Length: ~35 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center 🏗️ Episode Summary This week, Andy and Lalo shift gears from tariff talk and policy debates to something just as critical — port infrastructure and cargo flow. They sit down with Kristi App, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of New Orleans, to discuss her transition from a multi-generational family customs brokerage to one of the most important trade gateways in the United States. From Mardi Gras humor to multimodal logistics strategy, this conversation dives into: • The economic impact of the Mississippi River complex • Why the Port of New Orleans is uniquely positioned with all six Class I rail connections • The realities of competing with Brazil and Argentina in agricultural exports • Panama Canal water levels and their impact on Gulf trade • Infrastructure challenges (including bridge air draft restrictions) • And the future $2 billion container terminal expansion in Violet, Louisiana Kristi brings a rare perspective — someone who has worked export ops, import brokerage, business development, and trade advocacy — now sitting on the port side making strategic infrastructure decisions that shape supply chains. If you work in logistics, brokerage, importing, exporting, or trade policy, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how ports think — and how that thinking impacts your freight. 🚢 Key Takeaways • The Lower Mississippi River complex feeds, fuels, and powers the world — over 60% of U.S. grain exports flow through it. • The Port of New Orleans is the only deep-draft U.S. port connected to all six Class I railroads. • Freight always has a choice — ports must remain competitive and multimodal. • Brazil and Argentina have become serious competitors in global ag exports. • The Panama Canal’s stabilization benefits the entire Gulf ecosystem. • The Crescent City Connection bridge creates air draft limitations for larger container vessels. • A new $2 billion container terminal (2 million TEU capacity) is in final permitting stages — a generational infrastructure project. • Retain, repatriate, and grow cargo: the port’s commercial strategy in three words. 🌎 Why This Matters to Trade Professionals Kristi emphasizes something important: Ports are the nexus of trade — but they only work if infrastructure investments match market demand. For brokers and importers/exporters, that means: • More routing options • Multimodal flexibility (rail + river + interstate) • Competitive Gulf Coast alternatives • Future-ready capacity for larger vessels This episode is a reminder that policy debates are one thing — but infrastructure is what actually moves goods. 📍 Industry Events Mentioned • TPM Conference – Long Beach • Journal of Commerce Breakbulk Conference – New Orleans (April 20–22) 🔗 Resources & Mentions • Kristi App – LinkedIn (  / kristi-app-15820117  ) • Port of New Orleans (https://portnola.com/) • National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) (https://www.ncbfaa.org/) • Journal of Commerce (https://www.joc.com/) • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Mississippi River Channel Management (https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/) 🎧 Credits Hosts: Andy Shiles Lalo Solorzano Guest: Kristi App, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of New Orleans Produced & Presented by: Global Training Center 📢 Subscribe & Follow Stay connected with the Simply Trade community: • LinkedI...