Port of Virginia box volumes jump 8.9% in March

The mid-Atlantic port handled 232,148 TEUs for the month, with loaded container imports growing 9.5 percent and loaded exports up 3.3 percent from the previous March, according to the most recent figures from the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).    The Port of Virginia handled 232,148 TEUs of containerized cargo in March 2016, an 8.9 percent increase from the prior-year period, according to the most recent figures from the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).
   Throughput of loaded imports grew 9.5 percent to 99,665 TEUs and loaded exports ticked up 3.3 percent to 92,384 TEUs compared with the previous March. Inbound and outbound empty containers, meanwhile, were up 90.3 percent to 7,612 TEUs and 13.3 percent to 32,488 TEUs, respectively.
   Breakbulk volumes at the port, on the other hand, fell 14.7 percent year-over-year to 15,648 tons for the month, while automobile shipments were up 30 percent to 3,673 units.
   Through the first three months of 2017, container volumes were up 8.7 percent to 681,040 TEUs compared with the same 2016 period.
   “March was the fourth busiest month in our history and our growth was 9 percent when compared with last March,” John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of VPA, said of the figures. “We are expecting volume to remain in positive territory as we move into spring and look forward to peak season.
   “The new ocean carrier alliances will be fully operational this month (April) and we will be seeing more big ships, like the COSCO Development, moving considerable amounts of cargo. As these ships arrive, planning and preparation are going to be paramount to our efficiency.”