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6/26/2023
The Port of Oakland and the South Carolina Ports Authority last week reported May cargo volumes.
Total cargo volume at the Port of Oakland in California dropped 22.7% to 134,398 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month compared with May 2022's volume.
Full imports fell 28.2% to 70,887 TEUs last month, port officials said in a press release. Full exports were down 15.4% at 63,511 TEUs compared to May 2022. Empty exports dropped 19.5% to 28,315 TEUs, while empty imports rose 3.8% to 15,836 TEUs.
Compared to February 2023, full container volume rose about 18% in May, officials added. Shippers have continued to favor U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports this year due to contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents some 22,000 dockworkers, and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents 29 U.S. ports on the West Coast, port officials said. Those negotiations were resolved earlier this month as the parties announced a tentative agreement.
The port is served by BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad.
Meanwhile, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports), which operates the Port of Charleston and two inland ports, logged a "strong" May as the port authority handled 20,026 vehicles for global automakers at Columbus Street Terminal, up 14% compared to vehicles handled in May 2022.
During the month, Charleston handled 198,824 TEUs and 110,834 pier containers. Container volumes were down 22% compared to the previous year as imports trend downward, but exports were up 4%.
Inland Port Dillon logged a record-breaking month with 4,415 rail moves, up 138% from last year. Inland Port Greer handled 14,931 rail moves, up 4% compared with May 2022, port authority officials said.
For the first five months of 2023, SC Ports has handled nearly 2.4 million TEUs and 1.3 million pier containers. The ports are served by CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway.
Meanwhile, freight forwarder and logistics provider UWL announced an expansion of its inland point intermodal (IPI) Sun Chief Express service, which operates between Southeast Asia, the United States and Canada via Seattle. The service now includes access to two key IPI locations in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, company officials said in a press release. UWL is based in Cleveland.
Through the expansion, UWL plans to cater to demand from clients for U.S. Midwest market access, especially as Columbus has become a fashion hub for the region, UWL officials added.
“Our goal is to provide all Midwest businesses with advanced, sustainable supply-chain strategies to maintain their competitive edge in the marketplace," said UWL President Duncan Wright.