The Alabama Port Authority closed the strongest revenue year in its history just over a year after the Mobile Ship Channel reached its full authorized depth of 50 feet, the agency said Tuesday.
The authority finished fiscal year 2026 with revenue of about $245 million, up more than 20% from the previous fiscal year. Higher customer demand, bulk cargo volumes and rail activity contributed, along with the added capacity of the deeper channel, the agency said.
168 deep-draft vessels so far
The channel opened to its full depth on October 3, 2025. Since then, 168 vessels with a recorded draft greater than 45 feet have transited it, and the authority said more join that list every day…