The Port of Virginia said it processed a record-setting 258,821 TEUs in August, an increase of nearly 8 percent when compared with the same month last year.
“August was the second most productive month in our history and in the first two months of fiscal year 2019 our TEU volume has increased by more than 36,600, or about 8 percent” compared with FY18, said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).
“In addition to peak season volumes, we are seeing some inbound cargo that is moving in anticipation of expanded tariffs on select imports. Overall, our team, from Virginia Inland Port to Richmond to the Norfolk Harbor, handled the volume with efficiency and performed well,” Reinhart said.
The port said August’s growth was driven by exports. Loaded exports were up 11 percent, while import volumes grew by 3.4 percent. The port’s inland operations also grew, with volumes at Virginia Inland Port (VIP) and Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) up 21 percent and 58 percent, respectively. Truck volume was up 5 percent; rail was up 10 percent; and total barge volume increased 27 percent.
Reinhart said as the port expands its container-handling capacity and capability at Virginia International Gateway (VIG) and Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), volumes, efficiency and service levels will climb. At VIG, all 26 of the new rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) have been delivered, and the operations team is testing the equipment and preparing to bring it into service.
The last stack at VIG is set to come online in January. All others will be operational by October, Reinhart said. NIT took delivery of six RMGs on Saturday and Sunday, and the first stack is on scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.
“We’re making significant progress and are tracking for completion of work at VIG by early summer 2019 and summer 2020 for NIT. From there we will shift our focus to the work on Wider, Deeper, Safer — 55 feet — to create the most modern deep-water port on the U.S. East Coast,” he said