SIMIC

SOUTH Carolina Ports handled 2.4 million TEU and 1.37 million pier containers in calendar year 2023, down 11 per cent from the year prior and on par with 2019 volumes, reports the American Journal of Transportation.

Container volumes were impacted by higher interest rates and inflation, which dampened consumer spending and decreased imports to the US, especially compared to the retail boom during the pandemic.



SC Ports also saw strength in other business segments in 2023, with the port handling 204,481 vehicles in 2023, up three per cent year on year, and more than 302,000 cruise passengers, a 16 per cent increase from 2022.



SC Ports focus on rail is proving successful as Inland Ports Greer and Dillon both handled a record number of containers in 2023, reports the American Journal of Transportation.



Inland Port Greer moved 175,873 containers on and off trains in the Upstate last year, a 26 per cent increase from the previous year. Inland Port Dillon moved 43,266 containers on and off trains in the Pee Dee last year, a 55 per cent increase from the previous year.



The growth at South Carolina's two rail-served inland ports has driven the percentage of containers moved inland by rail back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 23 per cent of total marine containers travelling by rail during calendar year 2023.



"We are proactively investing in our rail infrastructure to support our customers' growth," said SC Ports CEO Barbara Melvin.