South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) had a record October for containers, marking the eighth consecutive month of record volumes at the Port of Charleston.
SC Ports moved 234,923 TEU at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal and Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal in October, a 9% increase year-over-year. Fiscal-year-to-date, SC Ports has handled 919,440 TEU at container terminals, up 15% from the same time a year ago.
Additionally, SC Ports handled 130,417 pier containers, which account for boxes of any size, in October. This set a record for the month and reflects a nearly 9% increase year-over-year. SC Ports has moved 511,790 pier containers thus far in the fiscal year 2022, up 15% from the same time a year ago.
Furthermore, SC Ports handled 107,773 TEU of loaded imports in October, up 12% year-over-year. Retail imports continue to drive sustained cargo growth as consumers buy more retail goods, home goods and furniture. Furniture imports are up 55% year-over-year at the Port of Charleston, according to PIERS data.
Retailers benefit from SC Ports’ cargo capacity, efficient operations, fast truck turn times and express rail service that swiftly moves retail goods to near-port distribution centers, according to a statement.
“SC Ports provides capacity, fluidity and predictability for retailers as record retail imports flow into the Port of Charleston,” SC Ports CEO, Jim Newsome said. “SC Ports has invested more than US$2 billion in port infrastructure in recent years to ensure supply chain fluidity for our customers.”
The Port of Charleston consistently has berth availability, meaning ships do not wait to access terminals. This fluidity, combined with a deep harbor and efficient operations, attracts new calls and business to the Port of Charleston, according to SC Ports.
“During this time of unprecedented supply chain challenges, shipping lines and cargo owners can take advantage of the opportunity to diversify their port gateways,” pointed out Newsome.
In the meantime, Inland Port Greer had a record month with 14,189 rail moves in October, which is up 10% from the year prior, while Inland Port Dillon reported 2,435 rail moves in the previous month.
At the same time, vehicles remain a strong business segment at SC Ports, with 21,740 vehicles rolling across the docks in October, a 5% increase year-over-year.
