The US Port of Virginia set a new annual record for container cargo volume, having handled more than 2.65 million TEUs in 2016, a 4.2 percent increase over prior year’s total.
In 2016, import and export volumes were up 6 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, over the prior year.
“In 2016, we moved 106,000 more TEUs than we did in 2015, which until now, was our highest volume year on record,” John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said.
The port saw increases in TEUs, rail volume and total volume at Virginia Inland Port. Further, Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) had its most productive year since the Port of Virginia began leasing the facility in 2010, the port said.
“Our focus now is getting underway with our capacity projects Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) and Virginia International Gateway (VIG), completing and opening the new gate at NIT in June and expanding our rail reach into our market by making use of the National Gateway, CSX’s double-stack route into the Midwest,” Reinhart added.
The fourth quarter of 2016 was the best in the port’s history – there were double-digit increases in volume and the port increased its market share of the US East Coast cargo volume from 12.9 percent to 14.5 percent.
December 2016 is the half-way mark in the fiscal year 2017 and thus far TEU volumes are 1.37 million TEUs, which is a rise of 6 percent when compared with the same period last fiscal year.
The calendar year was completed with December’s TEU volumes of 229,624 TEUs, making it the eleventh consecutive month of TEU volumes exceeding 210,000 units.