Port of New Orleans business slumps slightly in 2020; several initiatives underway port of new orleans (Source: rob masson) By Rob Masson | January 2, 2021 at 12:38 PM CST - Updated January 2 at 1:17 PM NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -The Port of New Orleans saw a 10 percent decline in business in 2020 due in large part to COVID-19, but it’s s moving forward with several projects that are expected to better position it for the future. The past year was a year of major challenges for most; the port of New Orleans was no exception. “In 2020 we saw a little bit of a dip about 10 percent or a little more than that in container volume,” said port spokeswoman Jessica Ragusa.