The closure of Kawaihae Harbor because of structural damage caused by Sunday's earthquakes has brought the state's fastest-growing export business to a standstill, at least temporarily.

Koyo USA Corp. ordinarily ships 12 to 13 40-foot containers each day out of the harbor, loaded with bottles of nutrient-rich, desalinated deep-sea water for export to Japan and elsewhere, but that operation was shut down for the time being after the earthquake, said Ishi Yama, sales and marketing manager for Koyo USA.

Yama said the company plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i suffered apparently minor damage, and the company was still discussing what is needed to resume production. Yama had no details on the damage.

He also said the company is unsure how it will proceed if the harbor does not reopen immediately.

"We cannot say anything about it at the moment; we don't know," he said.

Also affected was Deep SeaWater International Inc., another NELHA tenant that exports bottled seawater.

Chief Operating Officer Jeff Smith said the Deep SeaWater plant remained in production yesterday, but wasn't sure what the company will do if the port remains closed.

"We're making plans," he said. "I'm looking at all alternatives, all costs, all economics, time, as I'm sure Wal-Mart and Kmart and Costco and every small businessman on the island is looking at it."

Officials with Deep SeaWater declined to say how many containers of bottled water Deep Sea Water ordinarily exports each day.

Barge traffic has been diverted to Hilo while the Kawaihae port is closed.

The structural problems that prompted the closure of the harbor included cracks between the concrete aprons and the asphalt, including some areas with foot-wide separations. The quake opened a 600-foot-long "large separation crack," between the Pier 2 concrete apron and the asphalt, according to a preliminary report on the damage.

Some water lines ruptured, there were three ruptures in fire hydrant lines and water also leaks in other areas, according to the report.

The base of the overseas shed was cracked, and there were some signs of subsidence from the pier face across the aprons of the sheds, according to the report.

The port receives about 60 percent of all container traffic shipped to the Big Island, and if it remains closed, cargo bound for Kona and the hotels in South Kohala would have to be unloaded in Hilo and trucked more than 100 miles across the island.

Kawaihae is also the primary entrance and exit for military training exercises. There are currently about 800 U.S. Marines and 400 members of a Schofield Barracks-based artillery unit training at the Pohakuloa Training Area.

Smith said he expects a quick response from the state.

"It will cause some challenges, but like any business, I'll adapt, and I'm sure the state will be very cognizant of the important of the harbor for business and individuals and will take very quick action to make sure it opens up safely," he said.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.