South Carolina ports pumped up container volume in FY2013

The South Carolina Ports Authority's (SCPA) container volume totaled 1.56 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in fiscal-year 2013, which ended June 30, a 9 percent increase compared with FY2012's total.

"While just under the aggressive target we set for the past fiscal year, the Port of Charleston's growth remains at more than double the average market growth for the nation's ports," said SCPA President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Newsome in a press release.

Non-container facilities in Charleston handled 1.1 million tons of bulk and breakbulk cargo in FY2013, a 30 percent jump versus the previous fiscal year. But at the Port of Georgetown, total volume of 494,645 pier tons declined 10 percent in FY2013.

For the month of June, the Port of Charleston's two container facilities registered 125,257 TEUs, up 4 percent compared with June 2012 volume. The gain reflects the start of new or "upsized" container services at the port this summer, SCPA officials said.