South Carolina Ports has set a new record for 2022, joining Georgia and Virginia, with the Port of Charleston handling the most containers in its history. According to the port complex, it handled nearly 2.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units in the calendar year, a 1.5% increase from 2021.
SC Ports also moved more than 1.5 million pier containers last year, including containers of all sizes. This represents a 1% increase year on year.
“South Carolina’s excellent port team and maritime community efficiently handled record cargo volumes and expertly navigated supply chain challenges to keep freight moving for our customers,” said SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin in a release on Thursday.
Not all metrics showed year-over-year growth. Loaded export TEUs were 665,459 for the year, down 18% from 814,984 in 2021, but loaded import TEUs were 1.38 million in 2022, up 7% from 1.29 million TEUs the previous year.
At the Columbus Street Terminal, SC Ports handled 199,343 vehicles, down from 233,887 in 2021.
Year over year, movement to SC Ports’ two rail-served inland ports, Inland Port Greer and Port Dillion, was also lower. In 2022, the ports handled 167,147 rail moves, down from 189,646 in 2021.
Virginia Port Authority and Georgia Ports Authority reported record 2022 volumes at their respective facilities last week.
More than $2 billion has been invested in port infrastructure in recent years, according to SC Ports, with an additional $2.5 billion planned over the next decade.
The Navy Base Intermodal Facility, which will be served by CSX (NASDAQ: CSX), Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), and Palmetto Railways, is currently under construction, as is the development of an inner-harbor barge operation that will transport cargo between the facility and the Port of Charleston’s container terminals.
