Diversifying cargo base boosts container volumes at port
March was the strongest month ever for the S.C. Ports Authority in terms of container volume.
The Port of Charleston handled 200,000 TEUs — 20-foot equivalent container units — in March, up nearly 4% from March 2017, the latest port data show. The agency handled more than 1.6 million TEUs in the first nine months of fiscal year 2018, up 1.4% from the same time the year prior.
Measuring boxes of any size, the port moved around 114,000 total pier containers in March, up 4.3% from a year ago. For fiscal 2018, the port handled more than 909,000 pier containers, up 1.9% from 2017.
“The record volumes achieved by our port in March reflect seasonally strong volume in all segments combined with the further deployment of big container ships to the U.S. East Coast,” Port CEO Jim Newsome said in a news release.
