Page 39: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q4 2016)

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n late October, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) construction. In 2015 SCPA handled international commerce reported year-over-year growth during the ? rst quarter of valued at more than $74 billion while receiving no direct tax-

I its 2017 ? scal year. Those numbers; bolstered by loaded payer subsidy. According to SCPA itself, the port(s) represent container volumes, particularly on the import side, supported a robust economic development engine for the state. To that

SCPA’s growth. Strong volumes on the breakbulk side of the end, port operations facilitate almost 190,000 statewide jobs business and record throughput at SCPA’s Inland Port at Greer, and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. The

SC, provided a solid start to FY2017. And, where some ports port itself employs about 500 people directly, impacting as – in particular on the U.S. West Coast – are seeing impacts many as 10,000 jobs locally in the greater Charleston area.

from the slowing Asian economy and a nasty hangover from the Hanjin collapse, a diversi? ed and meticulously planned SCPA: on the move strategy at the U.S. Southeast’s deepest and 4th largest East Automobile and truck tires are among the top commodi-

Coast port is yielding fruit. ties moving through the Port of Charleston. In 2015 alone, as

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) owns and operates many as 45,442 containers of tires were imported to Charles- public seaport facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and an in- ton, the second-largest import category behind automobile land port in Greer. A second inland port, located in Dillon, parts. Tires were also the Number six export commodity, with

SC, has been planned, approved and ground broken on its 26,752 cargo containers sent to foreign markets. That success largely hinges upon a close relationship between the port and

Michelin, a tire ? rm that has moved ahead aggressively to ex- pand local capabilities.

Michelin North America’s decision to move ahead with plans to build a $270 million distribution center near Spartan- burg was in? uenced in no small part by its need to ef? ciently leverage the supply chain for its many products. Moving tires to retailers regionally and between the Port of Charleston and the inland port in Greer, Michelin will take advantage of SC-

PA’s long range plans to modernize an intermodal package that the port envisions will be second-to-none on this coast, once completed.

Separately, and as this edition went to press, the American

Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the self-described voice of seaports in the Americas, was focusing on key priori-

Charleston Port

Numbers that Matter … • 53 billion: Dollars in annual statewide economic impact • 2 Billion: Dollars in infrastructure investments over 10 years • 1.12 million: Handled containers in 2015 • 1 million: Tons of non-containerized cargo moved in 2015 • 2,066: Total vessel calls last year. • 29: Days from Shanghai to Memphis (via SCPA) • 23: Minutes for an Average Truck Turn • 19 of 20: Top Container Lines call at Charleston • 16: Weekly calls by Post-Panamax vessels • 1: Days to ship from Vessel to Inland Port Greer www.maritimelogisticsprofessional.com 39I 34-49 Q4 MP2016.indd 39 11/9/2016 12:21:10 PM