The Port of Charleston handled more containers in 2022 than in any calendar year in its history, South Carolina Ports said Thursday.
SC Ports moved nearly 2.8 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, the standard measure of container volume, up 1.5% from 2021. Counting boxes of any size, it handled more than 1.5 million containers, up 1%.
“South Carolina’s excellent port team and maritime community efficiently handled record cargo volumes and expertly navigated supply chain challenges to keep freight moving for our customers,” said Barbara Melvin, SC Ports’ president and CEO.
The port’s other business lines were busy, too. Columbus Street Terminal handled 199,343 vehicles in 2022. With cruises back, 261,636 passengers came through the Passenger Terminal. Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon handled a combined 167,147 rail moves.
The record follows the port’s best fiscal year. SC Ports said in October that it handled 2.85 million TEUs in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up 12%, setting records in 11 of the 12 months.
The growth comes as companies pour money into South Carolina. The S.C. Department of Commerce secured more than $10 billion in capital investment from 120 projects in 2022, with more than 14,000 new jobs announced, SC Ports said.
SC Ports said it has invested more than $2 billion in port infrastructure in recent years, and Charleston Harbor is now 52 feet deep, the deepest on the East Coast. SC Ports plans to spend another $2.5 billion over the next decade, from its own money and state funding.
The next big project is the Navy Base Intermodal Facility, a rail yard under construction in North Charleston that CSX, Norfolk Southern and Palmetto Railways will serve. SC Ports is also developing a barge operation to move containers between its terminals by water. The Legislature and Gov. Henry McMaster have allocated $550 million for the two projects.
SC Ports says port operations support 225,000 jobs in South Carolina.
