A historic moment 20 years in the making. Team South Carolina’s reputation as an international business powerhouse received a big boost when SC Ports welcomed the first vessel to the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal – the first container terminal to open in the U.S. since 2009.
To much-anticipated fanfare, the Yorktown Express’ arrival at the container terminal last Friday marked a generational milestone for SC Ports and all of Team South Carolina. Sitting along the Cooper River in North Charleston, near Charleston Harbor, the terminal’s cranes are visible throughout the region and serve as a reminder of Charleston’s success as a port city.
Designed to efficiently work the biggest ships calling on East Coast ports, the opening of the state-of-the-art Leatherman Terminal is timely, as U.S. container ports continue to handle unprecedented cargo volumes amid strong consumer demand. In fact, SC Ports had an all-time cargo record in March, with a 50% year-over-year increase in loaded imports.
While this marks the completion of Phase One, at full buildout, the $2 billion Leatherman Terminal will have three berths and span 286 acres, adding 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of annual throughput capacity, doubling current capacity. The Leatherman Terminal is a significant enhancement to South Carolina’s supply chain, and will serve as a major asset for companies looking to invest in our state and export and import goods.
South Carolina has earned a reputation as a place that excels at making a variety of complex products. And, a critical factor in boasting a diversified, successful economy is the ability to efficiently and effectively transport products. With the strategic growth of South Carolina’s port infrastructure, Team South Carolina will continue to remain competitive – providing unparalleled connectivity – on the global business stage.