South Carolina Ports made history by welcoming the first vessel to the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, marking the first container terminal to open in the U.S. since 2009.
Namely, operations launched March 30 with the arrival of the first container, followed by the first ship arrival of Hapag Lloyd’s Yorktown Express.
The Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal is an investment in the future of South Carolina that will spur economic development, create jobs, and further our state’s position as an international business destination for years to come.
….Governor Henry McMaster said.
The @HapagLloydAG Yorktown Express departs soon after making history at #SCPorts as the first container ship to call on the Leatherman Terminal! #TomorrowIsHere #HLT pic.twitter.com/zLEgi8lPIc
— South Carolina Ports (@SCPorts) April 10, 2021
The Leatherman Terminal, which has been 20 years in the making, is a generational milestone for SC Ports and for South Carolina.
In fact, the terminal sits along the Cooper River in North Charleston, S.C., near Charleston Harbor. Its cranes can be seen throughout the region — the changed skyline serving as a reminder of Charleston’s success as a port city.
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As explained, Leatherman can efficiently work the biggest ships calling on East Coast ports. Phase One adds 700,000 TEUs of throughput capacity to the Port of Charleston.
SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome said that the opening of the terminal comes at just the right time, as U.S. container ports continue to handle unprecedented cargo volumes amid strong consumer demand.
To remind, SC Ports had an all-time cargo record in March, with a 50% year-over-year increase in loaded imports.
SC Ports is extremely proud to open the first container terminal in the U.S. since 2009 in South Carolina. This took years of effort by our team and project partners. We have invested in the right infrastructure at the right time to handle growing cargo volumes and bigger ships, ensuring SC Ports remains a top 10 U.S. container port.
…as Newsome said.
Concluding, the Leatherman Terminal is part of SC Ports’ $2 billion infrastructure investment plan, which also involves enhancing Wando Welch Terminal. With these combined investments, SC Ports can handle four 14,000-TEU vessels simultaneously — an impressive capability that few U.S. ports can offer.