After posting a 16 percent jump year-over-year in July, the port handled 137,039 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, representing the strongest month for container volume since October 2008. This is also the seventh straight month of year-over-year growth in the Port of Charleston.
“We continue to focus on growing our cargo base, as reflected in strong gains in loaded exports, while we also increase service coverage in our port,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA). “In addition to the two new services that commenced this summer, we will be welcoming the first call of the Oceania service next week.”
The Bahia Grande, the first ship in Hamburg Süd and Maersk’s Australia and New Zealand weekly service, is scheduled to call the Wando Welch Terminal on September 21.
On the non-container side, breakbulk tonnage also was a strong performer. Overall breakbulk volume for the SCPA was up 35.5 percent in August with 150,539 tons handled in the Port of Charleston and the Port of Georgetown.