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Last month, the Port of Virginia handled 157,050 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 2.2 percent compared with February 2011. Volume through 2012’s first two months totaled 311,350 TEUs versus 312,911 TEUs during the same 2011 period.

Rail containers handled in February jumped 13 percent to 27,047. Rail containers handled in January and February totaled 54,218 vs. 51,445 in the year-ago period.

In terms of breakbulk tonnage, the port in February handled 25,422 tons, a 12.8 percent year-over-year increase.

Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that the commonwealth exported a record $2.35 billion worth of agricultural products last year, surpassing the previous high mark set in 2010 by more than 6 percent.

Top export products included soybeans, poultry, wheat, pork, lumber and wood products, corn and animal feed. The top three export markets in 2011 were the same as in 2010: Morocco, China and Canada.

“Agriculture and forestry are vitally important to economic growth in Virginia," McDonnell said in a prepared statement. “Exports are key factors in keeping our economy moving forward and they support jobs from our farms to our outstanding air, land and seaports.”