Cargo volume up 13% in Virginia

Cargo volume through the Port of Virginia rose in April, increasing 13% from a year ago and continuing a steady climb since the start of the year, port leaders said this week.

The port processed more than 320,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in April, ahead of January, February, and March volumes, which were 262,000, 297,000 and 315,000 TEUs, respectively. April volume fell short of the port’s all-time record of more than 325,000 TEUs, set last December.

Loaded exports were up 4.2% and loaded imports were up 3.4% in April.

New equipment set to come online this month will help the port continue to handle the steady volume increases, officials also said.

“The operations team really performed well during a very busy month,” Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a press release Wednesday. “We’re about half-way through the process of bringing our two new ship-to-shore cranes online at Norfolk International Terminals’ (NIT) South Berth, and they are on schedule to go into service later this month. Those cranes, along with this week’s delivery of 15 new hybrid shuttle trucks, will add increased capacity and efficiency to our operation ahead of peak season.”

The report follows similar news from the South Carolina Ports Authority, which marked its 14th straight month of cargo volume growth in April.