Ports of Indiana has opened an international trade office in Ireland, as part of an initiative to develop trade partnerships in Europe and support the launch of a direct Europe-Indiana container service.

According to a March 17 release from Ports of Indiana, Ireland made $32.4 billion worth of shipments to the state in 2024, more than triple the total for any other country. However, most of those shipments are currently routed through ports outside Indiana, underscoring the port authority’s push to move more of that cargo through its own facilities as it builds out new container capacity.

"Europe is a critical trading partner for Ports of Indiana, and establishing an Ireland office is part of our strategic growth initiative that will allow us to better serve existing customers and develop new container shipments between Indiana and Europe," said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock.

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor had previously announced plans in 2024 to create the first all-water container routes for ships serving the Chicago metropolitan area through the Great Lakes. The new Ireland office is expected to play a key role in supporting that effort by helping secure cargo commitments, and coordinating European partnerships needed to make the service viable. Trial shipments for the all-water container route are scheduled to begin later in 2026.

Read More: Chicago Area's First All-Water Container Route Brings 'Significant' Supply Chain Changes

Indiana is 13th among all U.S. states in maritime shipments, and handles roughly 50 million tons each year by barge, lakers and ocean vessels. But the geography of the region has traditionally made seaborne shipping a challenge, given the difficulties posed by the relatively narrow Great Lakes waterways. Combined with limited container-handling infrastructure and seasonal closures of the St. Lawrence Seaway, those constraints have largely kept containerized trade in the region reliant on coastal ports and inland rail and trucking connections.