South Carolina Ports concluded fiscal year 2024 on a high note with a 7% increase in container volumes at the Port of Charleston in June.

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In June, SC Ports efficiently managed 218,115 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and 121,267 pier containers, marking the second highest June on record. Loaded imports rose by 10%, and loaded exports by 5%, reflecting robust activity in the Southeast market.

“The Southeast market is booming, with a growing population driving imports and new manufacturing investments spurring exports,” said SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin. “South Carolina Ports is well-positioned for this growth with a 52-foot-deep harbor, efficient terminals, new capacity on the horizon, and an impressive inland port network.”

Over fiscal year 2024, SC Ports and the broader maritime community handled nearly 2.5 million TEUs and 1.4 million pier containers, slightly down from the previous fiscal year. Despite ongoing toe wall construction, the Wando Welch Terminal achieved a record year, moving over 1.2 million containers.

“SC Ports works alongside our maritime partners to provide highly productive port service and fluidity in the Southeast supply chains,” Melvin said. “We remain focused on providing the operational excellence that our customers have come to expect from us, while proactively investing in port capacity to efficiently handle their growth.”

Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon also saw record cargo volumes in fiscal year 2024, with a combined 230,409 containers moved on and off trains at the rail-served inland ports, a 24% year-over-year increase.

“Our rail-served inland ports have seen tremendous growth this past year as more customers move cargo by rail,” Melvin said. “We are expanding Inland Port Greer and building the rail-served Navy Base Intermodal Facility to provide more rail capacity in the Southeast port market and further support our customers’ supply chains.”

Inland Port Greer handled 187,638 containers in fiscal year 2024, marking a 28% increase from the prior year. Greer also set a record for June with 16,450 containers handled, an 11% increase from last year.

Inland Port Dillon experienced significant cargo growth in fiscal year 2024, handling 42,771 containers, a 9% increase and the first time it surpassed 40,000 rail moves in a fiscal year.

Additionally, SC Ports served as a crucial supply chain partner for major automakers in South Carolina, handling 210,817 vehicles in fiscal year 2024, a 12% increase from the previous year.