SCPA’s box volumes off to rocky start in 2018

The South Carolina Ports Authority’s container volumes sank 9.5 percent in January 2018 from 12 months prior.    South Carolina Ports Authority’s (SCPA) box volumes in January 2018 tumbled 9.5 percent from 12 months prior to 167,398 TEUs, as throughput of loaded imports and exports, as well as empty containers, had all declined, according to figures released by the port authority.
   SCPA handled 78,169 TEUs of loaded imports, 59,746 TEUs of loaded exports and 29,484 TEUs of empty containers during the month.
   Despite the rocky start to the calendar year, SCPA handled 1.24 million TEUs since its 2018 fiscal year began on July 1, 2017, marking a 1.8 percent uptick from the corresponding period in fiscal year 2017.
   Looking ahead, SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome said Thursday in a press release, “Next week marks the arrival of two neo-Panamax cranes for the Wando Welch Terminal as well as the beginning of construction on the Charleston Harbor deepening project, and in April, Inland Port Dillon will open for business.”
   The Charleston Harbor deepening project is bringing the entrance channel to a depth of 54 feet, and the main channel in Charleston from 45 feet to 52 feet.
   SCPA’s Port of Charleston is currently frequented by 31 liner services connecting it to regions outside North America, 26 of which are fully cellular container services and five that deploy roll-on/roll-off or pure car/truck carriers, according to BlueWater Reporting‘s Port Dashboard tool.