South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) moved a record 2.14 million TEU units in fiscal year 2017, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year’s container volumes.
As explained, highest-ever June volumes of 183,237 TEUs gave SCPA a strong finish to its fiscal year, which runs July through June. The port’s previous record was 1.98 million TEUs, achieved in FY2006.
“We had a very strong fiscal year…Such growth enables the port to continue to make the necessary investments in equipment and infrastructure to support the big ships being deployed to the East Coast today,” Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO , commented.
As measured in pier containers, the port handled its highest ever pier container volume of 1.21 million boxes during FY2017, surpassing the previous record of 1.13 million boxes in FY2005. Additionally, SCPA moved a record 104,010 containers across the docks of its two container terminals in June.
SCPA owns and operates seaport facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and Greer. In the Port of Charleston, SCPA opened at the end of June a new refrigerated container service area, marking a USD 14 million investment to support growing cold chain business in the Southeast.
SCPA’s loaded refrigerated cargo volumes have grown 86 percent since 2011, driven by proximity to export pork and poultry producers, access to a deepwater harbor, which allows ocean carriers to load ships heavy with frozen exports, and growing regional demand for import reefer commodities.