https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2019/08/02/port-green-bay-foreign-ship-imports-18-000-tons-road-salt/1900108001/

GREEN BAY –  An Egyptian ship that arrived in Green Bay Friday morning could be the first of an increased number of international shipments to the Port of Green Bay.

The ship, called the Andean, left Damietta, Egypt on July 8 with 18,000 tons of road salt. It arrived 3½ weeks later at the Fox River Terminals, a subsidiary of The C. Reiss Coal Co.

It's the first time an international saltwater vessel of this size has been to the dock just north of the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge, C. Ruess Coal Co. CEO Marlin Gohlke said. The ship can carry up to 20,000 tons of cargo.

"We wanted to bring in a foreign flag vessel and prove that we could do it, and this was the first opportunity we've had," the company's president, Mark Cummings, said.

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A front-end loader picks up road salt from a shipment that arrived from Egypt Friday at Fox River Terminals in Green Bay (Photo: Kaitlin Edquist/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

The company's reason for the direct delivery from Egypt was twofold: It wants to increase opportunities to handle international shipments, while also taking precautions to prevent a shortage of road salt this winter.

Salt was brought to Green Bay from overseas last year, but it was transferred in Canada from an ocean-going vessel to a lake vessel. What makes this arrival unique is the fact that this shipment came from Egypt on a single ship, Cummings said.

Many drivers remember the shortage that affected much of Wisconsin last winter. Due to production issues, domestic producers couldn't fully serve the entire market. Toward the end of the winter, salt had to be borrowed from other cities like Chicago to meet the area's needs.

"We thought this was a good opportunity for us and the chance to also keep the market from being short," Gohlke said.

Half of the year's salt inventory is already at Fox River Terminals, a collection that generally starts in May, Cummings said.

Workers started to unload the Andean after a two-hour inspection of the ship by the U.S. Coast Guard and Etters International, a local customs broker. Unloading the ship will take between 24 and 36 hours.

Gohlke said he hopes this will lead tof more foreign imports in the future. He also hopes to start shipping products internationally from Green Bay.

"We're hoping it opens up new opportunities for us and for the port," he said.

Contact Kaitlin Edquist at (920) 431-8505 or kedquist@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kaitlinedquist.