South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) set a record in March for the most cargo handled in one month, moving 248,796 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across the Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals.
This is a 34 percent increase year-over-year. In March, SC Ports handled 137,855 pier containers, a 31.3 percent increase year-over-year.
“This significant achievement leads up to another historic milestone as we prepare to welcome the first ship to the Leatherman Terminal (April 2),” Jim Newsome, SC Ports president and CEO, said. “Our all-time container record reinforces that we are adding more capacity to the Port of Charleston at the right time. The state-of-the-art Leatherman Terminal will add 700,000 TEUs of throughput capacity and a 1,400-foot berth to the East Coast port market when it is most needed.”
The Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal at the Port of Charleston recently began operations. It features 25 hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes and five ship-to-shore cranes with 169 feet of lift height above the wharf deck.
At the Port of Charleston, imports spiked nearly 50 percent, and exports jumped 8.2 percent in March.
South Carolina Ports Authority owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown, and Greer.