The SC Ports Authority (SCPA) of Charleston, South Carolina reported an increase in solid container volumes and record highs for February cargo volumes and rail transfers at inland ports.
However, it has projected volumes to decrease for the March and April period due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus. A rebound however is expected in May and June to finish the fiscal ahead of plan, Jim Newsome, president and chief executive officer of SCPA said in the statement.
The ports are also preparing for increased cargo volumes and larger vessels at the Port of Charleston, where its deepening project is on target to attain a 52’ depth in 2021 and work is developing on the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, a 1,400’ dock, designed for neo-panamax vessels, scheduled to open March 2021.
The SCPA advanced over 197,000 TEU’s (20-foot equivalent container units) across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in February and handled almost 1.64mn TEU’s so far in fiscal 2020, which began July 2019, through February—a 4pc increase compared to the same period one year prior.
SCPA moved almost 111,000 pier containers in Feb 2020 and has handled about 925,000 pier containers thus far in fiscal 2020. Loaded export TEUs rose to near 20pc and loaded import TEUs rose around 14pc in Feb 2020 compared to Feb 2019, both record highs for the month, according to a statement by the SCPA.
The port’s vehicle volumes rose 26pc to around 149,000 vehicles handled so far in fiscal 2020, compared to the same time period one year prior and moved over 18,000 vehicles in February at Columbus Street Terminal.
SCPA moved over 468,000 pier tons of breakbulk so far in fiscal-2020, a 22pc increase compared to the same time period one year prior.
SCPA’s Inland Port Greer reported an 18pc increase in rail moves in Feb 2020 compared to Feb 2019, totaling 99,920 rail moves in so far this fiscal. Inland Port Dillon reported a 22pc increase in Feb 2020 rail moves compared to Feb 2019, totaling almost 23,000 rail moves in 2020, both record highs for the ports’ rail served inland terminals.