NORTH KINGSTOWN – Auto imports into the Port of Davisville were slashed by more than a quarter in 2020 compared with the prior year, according to Quonset Development Corp. Friday.
The QDC, which operates the port and Quonset Business Park, in its 2020 annual report cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for a 27% drop in auto imports, which fell from 338,447 vehicles arriving in 2019 to 247,324 in 2020. A majority of the decline came in vehicles arriving by ship – from 296,706 in 2019 to 216,501 in 2020. Meanwhile, those that arrived by train and truck decreased by 10,918 year over year to 30,823.
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Auto sales across the country in 2020 also declined sharply amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cargo shipments into the port also fell from 2,880 metric tons in 2019 to 2,755 metric tons in 2020.
While the port has made its name as an auto importer – consistently ranked in the top 10 in North America- QDC is also working on port improvements to support development, operations and maintenance for area offshore wind farms. In addition to $20 million in bond funding passed in the March special election, the port was also recently awarded an $11.1 million grant by the U.S. Maritime Administration to upgrade the south berth of its Pier 1 to support auto and cargo imports as well as offshore wind activities, according to the report.
QDC also reported a 1.5% increase in jobs for a total of 12,282 employees in 2020. A majority of the 180 jobs created came under Infinity Meat Solutions, which opened a 210,000-square-foot facility in the fall of 2020. As of December, the company had 180 employees, with plans to hire 500 more in 2021.The 209 businesses with space in the business park is on-par with the prior year.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
