SC Ports handled 218,115 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and 121,267 pier containers last month, “marking the second highest June on record,” according to SC Ports, which owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. Loaded imports were up 10% and loaded exports were up 5%, “signifying overall strength in the Southeast market.”
“The Southeast market is booming, with a growing population driving imports and new manufacturing investments spurring exports,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said. “South Carolina Ports is well-positioned for this growth with a 52-foot-deep harbor, efficient terminals, new capacity on the horizon and an impressive inland port network.”
In FY24, SC Ports and the broader maritime community handled nearly 2.5 million TEUs and 1.4 million pier containers, slightly down from the previous fiscal year.
Wando Welch Terminal, according to SC Ports, “achieved an all-time record year,” with more than 1.2 million containers moving across its wharf, even as toe wall construction continues at the terminal.
“SC Ports works alongside our maritime partners to provide highly productive port service and fluidity in the Southeast supply chains,” Melvin said. “We remain focused on providing the operational excellence that our customers have come to expect from us, while proactively investing in port capacity to efficiently handle their growth.”
Both Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon handled record cargo volumes in FY24, with a combined 230,409 containers being moved on and off trains at the rail-served inland ports, up 24% year-over-year.
“Our rail-served inland ports have seen tremendous growth this past year as more customers move cargo by rail,” Melvin said. “We are expanding Inland Port Greer and building the rail-served Navy Base Intermodal Facility to provide more rail capacity in the Southeast port market and further support our customers’ supply chains.”
Inland Port Greer, which is served by Norfolk Southern (NS), handled 187,638 containers in FY24, notching a 28% increase from the prior year. The Greer operation also achieved a record June with 16,450 containers handled, an 11% uptick from last year.
Inland Port Dillon, which is served by CSX, saw significant cargo growth in FY24, handling 9% more with 42,771 containers moved. According to SC Ports, this is the first time Inland Port Dillon handled more than 40,000 rail moves in a fiscal year.
“SC Ports continued to serve as a critical supply chain partner for major automakers throughout South Carolina,” the port said. SC Ports handled 210,817 vehicles in FY24, up 12% from the year prior.
