Louisiana Economic Development
Louisiana’s extensive network of ports and waterways has made it a time-tested strategic hub for global commerce and integrated supply chains. Louisiana’s eight deep-draft ports handle the most domestic cargo in the U.S., with four of Louisiana’s ports ranking among the top 15 by tonnage in the nation. This scale explains why Louisiana’s ports have become the go-to for waterborne commerce: One-fifth of all U.S. goods pass through Louisiana’s waterways, including more than half of the nation’s grain and 23% of the nation’s coal. Louisiana is connected to 17 states that are navigable by barge from the Mississippi River: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. With Louisiana’s newly overhauled, highly competitive business-friendly tax environment and an internationally acclaimed workforce development program, businesses are finding success.