The oil transshipment port in Valdez is one of the top four ports in the United States for total tonnage. Alaska has more shoreline, about 34,000 miles in all, than the other 49 states combined. In fact, state officials estimate that 95 percent of Alaska's 611,300 residents can be reached by commercial marine carriers. Rural residents depend on ferries and river barges to bring groceries, fuel, and visitors. Loggers, seafood processors and miners ship their products efficiently to markets in Asia and Europe.
Tourists cruise to the state across the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska.
This system connects communities with each other and is an integral part of Alaska's highway system, reaching many communities which would otherwise be effectively cut off from the rest of the state. Local restaurants, grocery stores, individuals, and food distribution businesses have established delivery schedules with the AMHS to ensure regular and continuous delivery of perishable goods. Shipping perishable supplies on AMHS is more cost-effective than air freight and in many cases ensures delivery to communities on a more frequent basis than commercial barge and freight lines. In the future, Alaska's ports may benefit from geography as never before, as the state takes advantage of its position equidistant from the large markets of Europe and North America and the expanding trade centers of the North Pacific Rim.