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The South Carolina Ports of Charleston and Georgetown handled 152,917 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in January, marking an 18 percent boost in container volumes over the same month last year, the South Carolina Ports Authority reports.

January container traffic pushed fiscal year to date TEU volumes past the 1 million mark, with 1,072,438 TEUs moved since the period began in July. Fiscal year to date, TEU volumes are up 14 percent year over year.

As measured in pier containers, SCPA moved 88,619 boxes in January. With 614,372 boxes handled fiscal year to date, pier container levels are up 15 percent compared to the same period last year.

“While ship sizes grow, driving increases in the number of container moves per vessel, our port continues to work well,” said SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome. “Strong terminal productivity ensures trucks can efficiently move cargo in and out of our facilities without delays.”

Non-containerized cargo also saw gains in January, with total fiscal year to date breakbulk volumes 7 percent higher than planned levels. In January Charleston handled 65,153 tons and is slightly above plan for the fiscal year. Georgetown handled 14,933 tons, bringing the facility’s fiscal year gains to 15 percent over plan.

The SCPA Board recently approved a contract to perform annual berth dredging at Wando Welch Terminal and authorized the purchase of six full container handlers as part of the SCPA’s scheduled equipment replacement plan.

BBC Chartering, a carrier specializing in over-dimensional, non-containerized cargo, recently announced a new monthly breakbulk service connecting the Port of Charleston to Asia. Vessels in this service, which serves the Ports of Shanghai, Masan, Kobe and Yokohama, will call the Columbus Street Terminal.