Charleston container volumes down for 3rd year

Charleston container volumes down for 3rd year    South Carolina State Ports Authority said its terminals handled 1.37 million TEUs in the fiscal year ended June 30, 19 percent less than in fiscal 2008 and the third year of decline since the port moved a record 1.98 million TEUs in the year ending June 30, 2006.
   Breakbulk volume in Charleston was 549,008 pier tons in fiscal year 2009, down 17 percent from the prior fiscal year.
   'The global economic situation has been incredibly tough on port communities across the world, including ours,' said David J. Posek, port authority chairman. 'We should be proud that the people of South Carolina's ports have banded together to better serve our existing customers, while at the same time attracting new business.'
   Late last year Maersk Line, which had been its largest container carrier, announced it would shift vessel calls to other ports, complaining it was at a competitive disadvantage to other carriers at the port because of higher costs at its dedicated terminal. It said it planned to turn its terminal back to the port at the end of 2010.
   Ocean carriers have idled 10 percent of the world's shipping fleet amid the recession, but the shuffling and juggling of container services should play to Charleston's advantages, said John F. Hassell III, the port’s interim president and chief executive officer.
   'Fewer, larger ships will handle world trade in the years to come,' Hassell said. 'With the deepest shipping channels in the region, Charleston is well positioned for this development, as well as for the expanded Panama Canal in 2014.'
   Hassell noted several accomplishments over the past fiscal year, including:
   ' Extending through 2017 a contract with Mediterranean Shipping Co. for the Port of Charleston.
   ' Bringing National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia to Charleston with a new regular service for containers, breakbulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo.
   ' Finalizing a two-year contract extension with the Grand Alliance consortium.
   ' Adding a new Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics service between the U.S. East Coast and North Europe.
   ' Entering a new 20-year contract in the Port of Georgetown for Carolina-Pacific to export wood briquettes to North Europe, starting this fall.
   ' Signing a new deal with Celebrity Cruises for port-of-call and embarkations through 2011.
   ' Increasing refrigerated and container capacity at the Wando Welch Terminal.
   ' Awarding a $55-million construction contract for new container terminal work at the former Navy Base.
   The port has also started a strategic planning process that it said would be completed in coming weeks. New Chief Executive Officer Jim Newsome, former president of Hapag-Lloyd America, will start work at the port on Sept. 1.
   The Port of Georgetown's volume was up 3 percent over last year to 286,254 tons of cargo. In addition to the new renewable energy with Carolina-Pacific, the port said additional contracts could bring several million tons of new cargo through the port.