As global trade continues to rebound, South Carolina Ports said its container volumes continued to grow, posting a record volume in November at the Port of Charleston.

SC Ports handled 207,066 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in November, up 12% year-over-year. It handled more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) thus far in the fiscal year 2021, which began July 1.

SC Ports moved 114,899 pier containers — which account for cargo boxes of any size — in November, up 10% from a year ago. It handled 558,380 pier containers fiscal-year-to-date.

“SC Ports had a truly remarkable month with a record November for containers handled, as well as impressive results in our vehicles and inland ports segments,” SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said.

“We also recently celebrated Walmart breaking ground on its near-port, 3-million-square-foot import distribution center in Ridgeville, S.C., which will boost port volumes by 5% once it is operational.”

Auto logistics leads growth

SC Ports cited its strategic position in the quickly growing Southeast, which it said is advantageous for cargo owners, particularly global retailers — with consumer demand remaining healthy, seen with loaded imports up nearly 13%.

The Port said vehicles remain a strong segment for SC Ports with 20,838 vehicles handled at Columbus Street Terminal in November, up 4.5% year-over-year.

SC Ports has handled 114,519 vehicles in the fiscal year 2021, up more than 15% from the same time a year ago.

It noted that its two rail-served inland ports had a strong November with a combined total of 14,324 rail moves.

“SC Ports is well-positioned to handle increasing cargo volumes brought on by both the ongoing recovery and the booming Southeast market,” Newsome said.

“Our strategic infrastructure investments are coming online at the right time. We look forward to opening the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal in March.”

The $1 billion Phase One of the Leatherman Terminal complements efforts to modernize Wando Welch Terminal and deepen Charleston Harbor to 52 feet. These investments will enable SC Ports to handle four 14,000-TEU vessels simultaneously in 2021, as well as a 19,000-TEU vessel.