Port of Virginia gains TEUs in August

   Container throughput at the Port of Virginia grew 24 percent in August on a yearly basis to 188,658 TEUs, the Virginia Port Authority said.
   The figure comes on the heels of three consecutive monthly records, including an 8 percent increase to 180,384 shipping units in July.
   Since January the port has processed 1.36 million TEUs compared to 1.26 million TEUs during the same period in 2011, an increase of 8 percent. 
   Port officials point to their deep-draft harbor and land-side improvements such as intermodal rail as reasons carriers and shippers are bringing cargo to the port.
   Intermodal containers handled in August increased 22.8 percent to 34,528 and year-to-date rail containers are up 15 percent to 247,217.
   The port authority said it moved 780 containers on its twice-weekly barge service between Hampton Roads and the Port of Richmond in central Virginia, a 200 percent increase from a year ago. So far this year, the number of containers carried by barge instead of truck has more than doubled to 5,978.
   Ship calls increased by 21 to 172 in August, with the total number of ships visiting the port this year at 1,310 vs. 1,202 compared to the same period a year ago.
   The Virginia Inland Port, in Front Royal, experienced a 34.8 percent increase in container volume to 3,465 boxes and volume is running 4.8 percent ahead of last year.
   Breakbulk volume increased 15.3 percent to 25,413 tons. – Eric Kulisch