South Carolina Ports sees strongest April on record amid firm demand for USEC imports

South Carolina container terminals registered their highest-volume April on record and marked 14 months of year-on-year box volume growth, the port said May 10.

"Strong volumes were driven by sustained retail imports," the port said in a statement May 10. "[Retail imports] were up 34% in April compared to last year."

SC Ports moved 264,099 twenty-foot equivalent units during April, representing an increase of 17.3% on the year. The port authority has registered an average volume increase of 21.7% on the year for the 13 months through April 2022.

During SC ports' fiscal year 2022, which runs from July through June, over 2.4 million TEU have been moved, up over 15% from the previous fiscal year.

"With ongoing supply chain challenges and record cargo volumes, SC Ports remains focused on deploying responsive, creative solutions to return terminal and berth fluidity to normalcy for our customers," SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome said.

This comes as US inbound volumes continue to be at or near record highs, and cargo owners have an increased appetite for US East Coast imports.

Platts Container Rate 5 -- North Asia-to-East Coast North America -- was assessed at $11,000/FEU May 10, up 86% on the year.