South Carolina’s ports showed their best cargo handling performance in history in March – and the volume was 34% higher year on year.
“This significant achievement leads to another milestone as we prepare to receive the first ship at the Leatherman Terminal on Friday,” said South Carolina President and CEO Jim Newsome in a statement. “Our all-time container record reinforces that we are adding more capacity to the Port of Charleston at the right time. The next generation Leatherman Terminal will add 700,000 TEUs [twenty-foot equivalent units] transfer capacity and a 1,400-foot pier for the East Coast port market when it’s most needed. ”
The Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal will have five 169-foot-elevated ship-to-shore cranes above the dock deck, 25 hybrid gantry cranes with rubber tires and a large container yard, the South Carolina Ports Authority said. In full construction, the terminal will add 2.4 million TEUs of capacity – doubling the existing port capacity.
In its all-time container record, SCPA handled 248,796 TEUs through the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in the Port of Charleston in March. The previous record was set in August 2019 with 233,110 TEUs.
In March 2020, when the supply chain shutdown caused by the pandemic COVID-19 was felt in US ports, SCPA handled a total of 185,631 TEUs.
Imports loaded last month at the port of Charleston increased by almost 50% year on year, from 76,019 TEUs in March 2020 to 113,867 TEUs this year, SCPA said, noting “population growth in the Southeast and lifestyle changes driven by the pandemic continue to drive retail imports, including household products, furniture, electronics, fitness equipment and fresh and chilled foods. ”
Exported empty containers also increased significantly, from 28,911 TEUs in March 2020 to 46,872 TEUs last month.
Loaded exports also increased 8.2% year-on-year, from 73,077 to 79,077 TEUs “as advanced manufacturers and automotive companies see steady demand for their products in global markets,” said the SCPA.
More than 22,000 vehicles were handled at the Columbus Street Terminal in Charleston harbor in March, SCPA said.
March numbers were also higher than in February, when port congestion across the country was responsible for the smallest volumes: 182,269 TEUs handled at the Port of Charleston and 17,555 vehicles handled at the Columbus Street Terminal.
Inland Port Greer continues to break records, SCPA said. It recorded its busiest month in history in March, with 16,688 rail movements, an increase of 20.3% over the same month in 2020. So far in the fiscal year, from July 1 to March 31, Inland Port Greer sued 119,460 railway movements, an increase of almost 5% over the same period last year.
Just a month earlier, Inland Port Greer, located in the interior of the state of South Carolina, had its best performance in February, with 14,418 movements. This followed the best January, with 13,401 rail movements.
According to SCPA, Inland Port Greer extends the reach of Charleston Port via trains, and 94 million consumers can be reached on a day’s truck ride from the terminal.
Inland Port Dillon, located in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, had “almost 3,000” rail movements in March, SCPA said, similar to the 2,823 reported in February. From July 1 to March 31, Inland Port Dillon recorded 27,549 rail movements, an increase of 12.4% over the same period in 2020.
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