SCPA kicks off FY 2017 with record July box volumes

The South Carolina Ports Authority said it expects volumes to increase this year, driven by automotive parts, refrigerated cargo and plastics.

   The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) ended fiscal year 2016 on a strong financial note and kicked off fiscal year 2017 with a July record for containers handled.
   The state agency reported Wednesday that operating income for the fiscal year ended June 30 totaled $39 million, $9 million more than in 2015 and more than double the haul in 2014.
   Revenues topped $211 million compared to $197 million last year as the port authority saw the results from strong cargo growth and new efforts gradually raise fees for port users.
   Container volumes during the fiscal year climbed 1.4 percent at the Port of Charleston to 1.9 million TEUs. Growth plateaued after two years of red-hot activity as global trade slowed and West Coast ports ironed out congestion problems that led to some cargo rerouting to the East Coast.
   The SCPA reported its strongest July every for pier container volumes – the actual number of physical boxes moved by cranes regardless of size. Longshoremen lifted 100,366 boxes at Charleston’s terminals, exceeding the previous record of 99,972 pier containers set in 2005.
   Based on standard shipping units, volumes in July inched up 1.2 percent to 177,265 TEUs.
   The port authority said it expects volumes to increase this year, driven by automotive parts, refrigerated cargo and plastics.
   SCPA’s non-containerized cargo volumes in Charleston exceeded fiscal year plans last month by 9 percent. Charleston handled 70,773 pier tons of breakbulk cargo in July.
   The Inland Port in Greer handled 7,303 rail moves last month. With 56,875 rail moves calendar year to date, the facility’s volumes remain on track to reach 100,000 moves in 2016.