The Port of Virginia saw record-setting cargo volume in May, handling nearly 315,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) and surpassing the port’s previous record by nearly 30,000 units, officials said today.
The numbers were helped by the May visit of CMA CGM Marco Polo, the largest container ship to ever call on the U.S. East Coast. The 16,000-plus TEU-capacity vessel called on Virginia International Gateway in late May and was joined by the CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt, a previous record-setting vessel at 14,400 TEU capacity. The ultra large ships and a flood of imports helped drive the record-setting results, officials said. Total TEUs processed through the port rose 56% compared to year-ago levels. Loaded exports were up 38% and loaded imports were up more than 65%. “The strong volumes are continuing into June and from there we will see peak-season begin, so we are not expecting a significant slow-down in the near-term,” Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a statement Monday. “We’re going to keep adding assets and, if necessary, hours to the operation, to ensure cargo flow and accommodate the cargo owners.”
