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3/27/2026
The Port of New Orleans (NOLA), Ports America and Terminal Investment Ltd. have formed a joint venture (JV), Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC, to serve as the operator for the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT).
LIT is a proposed freight container terminal to be located in St. Bernard Parish along the lower Mississippi River in Louisiana. The terminal is being designed to accommodate the largest container vessels calling ports in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a Port NOLA press release.
The JV will manage terminal operations in coordination with Port NOLA, which is responsible for designing and constructing the facility. Ports America is a U.S. terminal operator and stevedore; Terminal Investment is a global terminal and investor and the operator part of the MSC Group.
The terminal layout remains under development; the latest draft from October 2025 features an intermodal rail yard, rail-car inspection and maintenance areas, a rail fueling area and rail support yard. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad will serve the terminal and provide connections to all six Class Is, according to the LIT project website.
LIT's capacity at opening is anticipated to be between 180,000 and 280,000 containers. Annual capacity is expected to grow to 1.2 million containers at full buildout, which may take up to 25 years, according to the website.