ports

Port of Charleston

www.port-of-charleston.com

If your company needs access to excellent port facilities, Lexington County is less than 1.5 hours from the Port of Charleston via Interstate 26.

The Port of Charleston is the busiest container port along the Southeast and Gulf coasts and ranks fourth nationwide. On the entire East and Gulf coasts, only the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey handles more containers than Charleston. The Charleston Customs district ranks as the nation's sixth largest in dollar value of international shipments, with cargo valued at $33 billion annually.

The Port of Charleston, part of the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) is one of only a handful of ports to have received the Presidential “E” and “E-Star” awards for excellence in exporting. Shippers from more than 20 states utilize the Port of Charleston to access foreign customers and suppliers. However, 45% of tonnage through the port comes from more than 700 South Carolina businesses and industry. North Europe and Asia are the SPA's top markets, combining for 67% of total volume, but more than 150 countries in all are served directly from SPA docks.

Along with the Port of Charleston, the South Carolina State Ports Authority operates two other port facilities – the Port of Georgetown and the Port of Port Royal.  These facilities are owner operated terminals, meaning SCSPA owns the terminals and operates them with its own staff.  SCSPA staff work in all container cranes, run the container yard equipment, and operate gates on all terminals. The only exceptions are the licensed operators at the port, who lease terminal space and operate their own yards and gates. SCSPA staff do operate the dockside container cranes and the yard equipment for licensed operators as well. The Ports Authority also has a long-term lease on a breakbulk terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base. Operation of this facility is sub-leased under a license agreement to Charleston International Ports.

In 2003 the South Carolina State Ports Authority served more than 2,300 ships and barges at its seaport terminals in Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal. The three ports are responsible for helping provide more than 280,000 jobs and create more than $9.4 billion in wages to South Carolina residents. The ports are responsible for pumping more than $23 billion into the South Carolina economy.

In the Port of Charleston, the SCSPA handled 1.5 million 20-ft equivalent units, or TEUs. Breakbulk cargo increased 19% to 520,391 tons. In addition, the port owned grain elevator handled 68,400 tons of bulk shipments. Top commodities across Charleston docks include foodstuffs, forest products, consumer goods, machinery, metals, vehicles, chemicals and clay products.

The Ports Authority has three major projects underway to serve its customers and the state's business community. The $150-million Charleston harbor deepening project began in 1999 and deepened channels to 45 feet at low tide. The near-term capital expansion program calls for $300 million to improve productivity and utilization.