South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) finished fiscal year 2024 with a 7% uptick in container volumes moving through the Port of Charleston in June. SC Ports handled 218,115 TEUs and 121,267 pier containers last month, marking the second highest June on record.
SC Ports noted that 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,” said SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin. “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 fiscal year 2024, 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.
In the meantime, Wando Welch Terminal 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.
Melvin added, “SC Ports works alongside our maritime partners to provide highly productive port service and fluidity in the Southeast supply chains. 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.”
Meanwhile, both Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon handled record cargo volumes in fiscal year 2024, 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,” pointed out Melvin. “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 handled 187,638 containers in fiscal year 2024, 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 saw significant cargo growth in fiscal year 2024, handling 9% more with 42,771 containers moved. This is the first time Inland Port Dillon handled more than 40,000 rail moves in a fiscal year.
Moreover, SC Ports handled 210,817 vehicles in fiscal year 2024, up 12% from the year prior.
