Port of Virginia has another record month

Published June 11, 2015 by Jessica Sabbath

The Port of Virginia hit another cargo-handling record in May.

The Port of Virginia’s terminals handled 230,511 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units, during the month, 13 percent more cargo than the year before.

That was the largest volume the port has handled in a single month, eclipsing its previous record set in March.

The port is on track to handle a record level of containers for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and the calendar year.

For the calendar year, the port’s TEU volume is up 9.5 percent compared with the same period last year. Truck moves are up 12 percent, vessel calls are up 2 percent, rail containers are up 8 percent, Virginia Inland Port volume is down 3.8 percent, barge containers are down 5 percent and vehicle units are up 48 percent.

Vehicle units soared in May as the port handled 8,675 import vehicles from Nissan and Chrysler at Newport News Marine Terminal. That is the largest number of vehicles to move through the terminal since January 1988. May’s numbers included Chrysler automobiles that were diverted from another East Coast port.