Virginia Port Authority Reports Container Volume Rises Slightly
Container volume at the port’s terminals ticked slightly upward in January, posting a year-over-year gain of 0.4%, the Virginia Port Authority announced Feb. 16.
From July through January, the first seven months of the 2016 fiscal year, container volume as measured in standard 20-foot units, or TEUs, grew 2.8% from the same period a year ago.
The port handled 192,844 TEUs last month, up from 191,996 in January 2015.
“Though modest, our volumes in January were the best on record for that month,” John Reinhart, executive director and CEO of the authority, said in a statement. “We continue to track according to our forecast, and it is our expectation that volumes for the balance of the winter and into the spring will be relatively flat.”
Truck-container volume for the month was up 1.2% year-over-year, while rail volume dipped 2.5%.
From July through January, truck-container volume was flat, up 0.5% from the same period a year earlier; rail volume rose 6.5%.
Richmond Marine Terminal had its best January on record, moving 1,295 containers, a 45% gain year-over-year; the Richmond facility’s container volume is up nearly 13% so far this fiscal year, the authority reported.
Total barge-container volume for the month fell 30.8% from last year and 25.8% for the first seven months of the fiscal year.
Last year, 64% of the authority’s cargo moved by truck, 33% by rail and 3% by barge.
The port’s 0.4% year-over-year bump in container volume last month followed drops in November and December of 2.5% and 3%, respectively.
Savannah, Ga., reported a 2.8% drop in TEU volume in January, following a 6.3% year-over-year decline in December and a 4.7% gain in November.
Charleston, S.C., saw gains in November and December of 6.5% and 1.9%, respectively.
