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SC PORTS HANDLES RECORD CONTAINERS, MAKES PROGRESS ON CARGO FLOW
May 10, 2022
South Carolina Ports continues to handle record cargo volumes while making significant progress with terminal and berth flow amid ongoing supply chain challenges.
In a statement, SC Ports said it had its highest April ever for containers handled, marking the 14th consecutive month of cargo records at the Port of Charleston.
It said that the strong volumes are driven by sustained retail imports, which were up 34% in April compared to last year.
"With ongoing supply chain challenges and record cargo volumes, SC Ports remains focused on deploying responsive, creative solutions to return terminal and berth fluidity to normalcy for our customers," said Jim Newsome, SC Ports CEO.
"We are in a strong position as we have proactively invested more than US$2 billion into our infrastructure ahead of demand," Newsome added.
SC Ports handled 264,099 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal, and Leatherman Terminal in April, up 17% from last year.
SC Ports has also moved 2.4 million TEUs thus far in the fiscal year 2022, from July through April, up 15% fiscal year-over-year.
All-time record containers
"April marks an all-time record for pier containers, which account for boxes of any size. SC Ports handled 145,779 pier containers last month, a 16% increase year-over-year. Thus far in the fiscal year 2022, SC Ports has moved 1.3 million pier containers, up nearly 15% from the same period the year prior," the port said.
SC Ports COO Barbara Melvin noted that the entire SC Ports team has "worked tirelessly" to handle consistent record cargo volumes.
"They have implemented operational changes in real-time to respond to the ongoing supply chain challenges. This has enabled us to make progress on our backlog in an effort to keep our supply chain fluid," Melvin added.
Meanwhile, SC Ports noted that vehicle volumes remained steady, with 21,829 rolling across the docks of Columbus Street Terminal in April. SC Port's two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon handled a combined 14,945 rail moves in April.
