CLEVELAND — The Port of Cleveland went into 2025 with the hopes of matching or exceeding its 2024 numbers, when studies showed the port and maritime sector generated $7 billion in economic impact.
"The best word I can use right now would be uncertainty," said Dave Gutheil, interim President and CEO of the Port of Cleveland. "The tariffs certainly throw a monkey wrench into that outlook because if the tariffs impact the cargo volumes, then our economic activity goes down a bit. We're hopeful that's not the case but we have to take a wait and see attitude right now."
Gutheil was in Washington, D.C. last week meeting with a number of groups and talking to the port's cargo clients.
"They're still not sure, which means we're not sure what the impact is going to be. It's difficult when you have uncertainty in the supply chain, and we're kind of on the front rung of that."
He said that then has a trickle down impact.
"If you look at our cargo volumes for example, the guys on the front lines down at the port, the longshoreman who are working the ships they might not have certainty on a week to week basis what's coming in. We hope the volume stays strong to make sure those guys and gals are working the ships. The more activity we have down there from a vessel call standpoint means more hours for them."
That being said, he added "our volumes we believe and we hope are going to be pretty much on par with what we did in 2024, the implementation of the tariffs that the administration is talking about hopefully doesn't change that too much."
Where the port will see a jump in activity this year is in the growing Great Lakes Cruise Ship industry.
"This is going to be a record year for us. We'll have 55 cruise calls this year, a big jump from last year, which was low 20s," he said. "One of the vessel lines, Victory Cruise lines, has reorganized and re-entering the lakes, we'll still have calls from Viking, we'll still have calls from a French line called Le-Dumont, and a couple other lines as well."
Fueled in part by the return to the Great Lakes by Victory Cruise lines, as well as the other popular carriers like Viking, Le-Dumont and others.
"We should see well in excess of 10,000 passengers move through the port this year."
With the first cruise ship slated to arrive in late April, which is the earliest call yet.
