Deb DeLuca will retire as Executive Director of the Ports of Duluth and Superior in May after nearly seven years at the helm and 10 years managing the Ports of Duluth and Superior, hailed as the largest freshwater ports in the world. She is the first woman to lead a port.
Much of her tenure included a pandemic that disrupted global and regional supply chains, including shipping, shipping, shipping through Duluth and Superior. But she and her staff pulled through with four consecutive years of tonnage growth.
“We have been improving the terminal’s infrastructure with the vision of growing a multimodal hub that can keep local industries competitive in the global market,” she said.
That worldview could pose a challenge to her successor if President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, particularly those targeting Canada and Mexico, go through. DeLuca spoke to WPR about navigating these trade and political winds.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Robin Washington: Typically, at the end of shipping season, we receive a recap and a forecast for next year. How do you rate the last 6 years?
Deb DeLuca: From a personal standpoint, this was the highlight of my career. It was also a period of growth for our terminal. Coal tonnage has declined over the past decade and we have sought to increase cargo diversity to offset this.
RW: One of your predecessors was the late Adolf Ozyar, who came from a family of tugboat captains. Your background was a little different.
DD: It really was. The role of director of a port authority is a position that requires a diverse skill set, so people come from a variety of backgrounds. My education was in biochemistry, molecular biology, environmental chemistry, and public policy flowing from that. Prior to joining the Port Authority, I worked in state government, local government, and the private sector.
RW: The port has gained the capacity and certification to handle containerized cargo in recent years.
DD: Yes. We have worked with Customs and Border Protection to develop the capacity to handle containers at our terminals from both a rail and road perspective. We are the second port on the Great Lakes to do this. It began handling these containers in 2022 and added liner service between Duluth and Antwerp the following year. There was also enough shipping to get liner surfaces from the Mediterranean out of the area. We also have a much wider reach within North America than expected, with shipments reaching Alberta from as far away as the Pacific Northwest.
RW: Related to that geography, you’re leaving office as a new administration takes office with President-elect Trump threatening to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. What advice would you give your successor to navigate the trade and political winds?
DD: Tariffs are definitely a delicate balance for the Great Lakes and our ports. They are double-edged swords. In the case of actual foreign steel dumping, tariffs supported domestic steel production and increased demand for Minnesota iron ore, which accounts for about 55 percent of total tonnage.
However, tariffs could also lead to retaliatory trade actions by other countries, which could harm our ports as exports of key cargoes such as grain tend to decline. In terms of advising my successor, I would encourage them to remain very involved with the Port Trade Association and to stay in contact with their representatives in Congress.
RW: What is the most interesting or interesting experience you have had? You probably looked out your office window and said, “What’s that?”
DD: Oh my god! A very interesting general cargo is passing through the terminal. The huge wind turbine parts arriving at our terminals and being sent to their final destinations, and the logistics that have to be moved through intersections and onto the highways, this is something to behold.
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