Port
of Charleston
www.port-of-charleston.com
Clarendon
County is less than one hour from the Port
of Charleston – making our industrial
sites and buildings not only accessible to
national markets, but international as well.
Our direct access to I-95 and the Port of
Charleston makes Clarendon County a perfect
manufacturing and distribution center location.
The Port of
Charleston is the busiest container port along
the Southeast and Gulf coasts and ranks fourth
nationwide. On the entire East and Gulf coasts,
only the Port Authority of New York &
New Jersey handles more containers than Charleston.
The Charleston Customs district ranks as the
nation's sixth largest in dollar value of
international shipments, with cargo valued
at $33 billion annually.
The Port of
Charleston is one of only a handful of ports
to have received the Presidential “E”
and “E-Star” awards for excellence
in exporting. Shippers from more than 20 states
utilize the Port of Charleston to access foreign
customers and suppliers. However, 45% of tonnage
through the port comes from more than 700
South Carolina businesses and industry. North
Europe and Asia are the SPA's top markets,
combining for 67% of total volume, but more
than 150 countries in all are served directly
from SPA docks.
If your company
imports or exports product, or receives goods
from suppliers through a port of call, there
is no better location for you than Clarendon
County. Our access to the port includes both
highway via Interstate 26 and rail via either
Norfolk-Southern lines or CSX.
South Carolina
Ports
Click
Here for A South Carolina Ports Fact Sheet
(PDF file)
The
South Carolina State Ports Authority owns
and operates 3 port facilities: The Port of
Charleston (less than one hour from Clarendon
County); the Port of Georgetown (also less
than an hour from Clarendon County); and the
Port of Port Royal (1.5 hours from Clarendon
County). These facilities are owner operated
terminals, meaning SCSPA owns the terminals
and operates them with its own staff.SPA staff
work in all container cranes, run the container
yard equipment, and operate gates on all terminals.
The only exceptions are the licensed operators
at the port, who lease terminal space and
operate their own yards and gates. SPA staff
do operate the dockside container cranes and
the yard equipment for licensed operators
as well. The Ports Authority also has a long-term
lease on a breakbulk terminal at the former
Charleston Naval Base. Operation of this facility
is sub-leased under a license agreement to
Charleston International Ports.
In 2003 the
South Carolina State Ports Authority (SPA)
served more than 2,300 ships and barges at
its seaport terminals in Charleston, Georgetown
and Port Royal. The three ports are responsible
for helping provide more than 280,000 jobs
and create more than $9.4 billion in wages
to South Carolina residents. The ports are
responsible for pumping more than $23 billion
into the South Carolina economy.In the Port
of Charleston, the SPA handled 1.5 million
20-ft equivalent units, or TEUs. Breakbulk
cargo increased 19% to 520,391 tons. In addition,
the port owned grain elevator handled 68,400
tons of bulk shipments. Top commodities across
Charleston docks include foodstuffs, forest
products, consumer goods, machinery, metals,
vehicles, chemicals and clay products.
The Ports Authority
has three major projects underway to serve
its customers and the state's business community.
The $150-million Charleston harbor deepening
project began in 1999 and will deepen channels
to 45 feet at low tide by 2004. The SPA's
near-term capital expansion program calls
for $300 million to improve productivity and
utilization. Long-term needs require the development
of new capacity, and the Ports Authority is
preparing to permit a new marine terminal
on the Cooper River side of Daniel Island.
The SPA owns undeveloped property on the island
between the Cooper and Wando Rivers just eight
miles from the ocean.
