The Port of Charleston, South Carolina has reported that breakbulk cargo has increased substantially at its Union Pier Terminal, driven primarily by steel shipments.
"We've been aggressive in recruiting breakbulk in an ongoing effort to diversify the port's business," Paul McClintock, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), said. "We're exporting a large amount of steel used in construction. On the import side, we are seeing steel wire rod and coils used to manufacture tires, which is a large and growing segment in the state."
Charleston's non-container facilities handled 1.12 million tons of bulk and breakbulk cargo in fiscal year 2013, a 30 percent jump from the previous year. The SCPA projects an approximately 10 percent increase in breakbulk and non-containerized cargo at the Port of Charleston during the next 12 months.