The South Carolina Port Authority (SCPA) headline numbers did not come from the coast.
SCPA said on Monday that its two inland ports had a record in October, with a combined total of 16,404 rail movements. Inland Port Greer reported 12,935 rail movements, an increase of 9.2% year on year, and Inland Port Dillon had 3,469 rail movements, almost 40% more than in October 2019.
SCPA said its overall October volumes “show continued recovery and strength in containers, vehicles and inland ports.”
The port authority handled 216,196 equivalent twenty-foot units (TEUs) at the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in October, down less than 1% year on year. Between July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, and October 31, SCPA handled 797,108 TEUs.
Vehicle volumes have increased by more than 18% this fiscal year, with 93,681 vehicles handled from July to October, SCPA said, although the 20,637 vehicles processed at the Columbus Street Terminal in Charleston in October fell slightly, less than 2% in the previous year -year.
“Our continued efforts to recruit more cargo to South Carolina’s ports will further drive growth,” said SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome in a statement on Monday.
SCPA has pointed to announcements in recent months that Michelin will use Inland Port Greer to move cargo to its 3 million square foot distribution center and that Walmart is preparing to build a similar-sized facility in Dorchester County, South Carolina.
“Retail companies are seeing explosive growth during the pandemic and this boom presents a great opportunity for South Carolina ports,” said Newsome. “We are professionals in dealing with the high demand needs of the supply chain for the automotive and advanced manufacturing industries, which will translate perfectly into support for retail distribution.”
During his speech on the state of the port last month, Newsome said that SCPA is investing in port infrastructure to handle more cargo and larger ships and promised that “2021 will be a truly historic year for the port”.
The Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal is scheduled to open in March and add 700,000 TEUs of annual processing capacity. Five 169-foot-high shore ship cranes and four hybrid gantry cranes with rubber tires were delivered to the terminal.
“These tall cranes will be a significant addition to the Charleston skyline and will serve as a reminder to everyone in the area of the importance of what we do,” said Newsome.
Other projects include improvements to the Wando Welch Terminal, which will result in 15 ship-to-shore cranes 155 feet high and 65 gantry cranes with rubber tires. The 52-foot deepening of Charleston Harbor is also scheduled.
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Click for more American Shipper / FreightWaves stories by senior editor Kim Link-Wills.