SC Ports: An Economic Gem

South Carolina Ports promotes, develops, and facilitates waterborne commerce to meet the current and future needs of its customers, and for the economic benefit of the citizens and businesses of South Carolina.

It provides port service at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports. As the eighth-largest U.S. container port, SC Ports proactively invests in infrastructure and capacity to ensure customers’ supply chains run smoothly.

“Through well-planned, targeted investment, South Carolina Ports has positioned itself as a top driver of South Carolina’s economy,” Gov. Henry McMaster once said. “Our investments into critical port infrastructure have attracted world-class companies to South Carolina and helped our existing businesses thrive.”

To be sure, there have been challenges.

Earlier this year, the South Carolina Daily Gazette reported the State Ports Authority wanted to cut labor costs at its Leatherman Terminal so more container ships would be willing to use the $1.5 billion facility that’s operated by an all-union workforce.

The Gazette reported the initiative was part of the authority’s larger effort to rein in costs and boost cargo as the Port of Charleston and other U.S. seaports “are going through a reset,” Micah Mallace, the authority’s president and CEO, told the Senate Transportation Committee.

The Gazette subsequently reported that the state agency was temporarily halting operations at its Leatherman Terminal to save money in the face of a global trade slowdown.

The State Ports Authority said the container terminal’s shutdown would be complete by Aug. 1 and continue for an undetermined period.

The South Carolina Ports Authority was created in 1942 by Act Number 626 of the South Carolina General Assembly for the general purposes of developing and improving the harbors and seaports of Charleston, Georgetown, and Beaufort for the handling of waterborne commerce, and to foster and stimulate the shipment of freight and commerce through these ports.

The Ports Authority has no stockholders or equity holders and is directed by a governing board, whose members are appointed by the governor of South Carolina for five-year terms. The board consists of nine voting members and the Secretaries of Transportation and Commerce as additional ex officio, nonvoting members.

The Ports Authority owns and is responsible for the operation of six ocean terminals at the ports of Charleston, as well as inland port facilities in Greer and Dillon. These facilities primarily handle import and export containerized, breakbulk, and bulk cargoes.

The Ports Authority experienced record rail moves at Inland Port Greer during fiscal year 2025 with 205,523 rail moves, an increase of 9.5 percent over fiscal year 2024 and 40.0 percent over fiscal year 2023.

During fiscal year 2025, the Ports Authority handled 2,566,764 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), an increase of 2.8 percent from fiscal year 2024 and a 0.6 percent decrease from fiscal year 2023 as uncertainty surrounding tariffs tempered growth.

After being closed in April 2021, the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal (HLT) reopened in late September 2024 and handled 135,748 TEUs in fiscal year 2025.

Inland Port Greer completed a $64 million expansion project in March 2025. The expansion doubles the port's capacity through the addition of 18 acres of container yard storage, 9,000 feet of new rail to quickly handle longer trains, an expanded chassis lot, two rubber-tired gantry cranes, and new terminal operations and maintenance buildings.

With these enhancements, Inland Port Greer can handle 300,000 rail lifts annually and meet projected customer demand through 2040.

Toe wall construction was completed in April 2025 at the Wando Welch Terminal, restoring the ability to handle three mega container ships simultaneously at any tide. The newly completed toe wall enhances the terminal’s capability to manage larger vessels and maintain access to Charleston Harbor’s industry-leading 52-foot depth.

Construction of the Navy Base Intermodal Facility (NBIF) continued during fiscal year 2025. The NBIF will be dual served by Norfolk Southern and CSX with a dedicated drayage road from HLT.

The facility will allow the Ports Authority to direct rail-intensive shipping services to HLT and enhance the utilization of Inland Ports Greer and Dillon.

The Ports Authority generated operating revenues of $426.5 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. This represents an increase of 5.6 percent from fiscal year 2024 and a 4.9 percent decrease fiscal year 2023.

The Ports Authority had cash flow from operating activities of $125.4 million in fiscal year 2025, representing a 9.9 percent increase from fiscal year 2024 and 29.2 percent decrease from fiscal year 2023.

The Ports Authority’s total net position was $1,297.2 million, $1,014.5 million, and $880.8 million as of June 30, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. The Ports Authority’s total net position increased $282.7 million during the current fiscal year and $416.4 million from fiscal year 2023.

The Ports Authority’s investment in capital assets was $2.4 billion as of June 30, 2025, representing a 6.3 percent increase over June 30, 2024, and a 17.1 percent increase over June 30, 2023.

The investments include land, land improvements, buildings, equipment, railroad tracks, furniture and fixtures, projects in progress, and intangible lease and subscription assets.

Major capital investments and other significant expenditures over the past two fiscal years include:

• Construction of the NBIF

• Purchase of six rail-mounted-gantry (RMG) cranes for the NBIF

• Construction of the second berth at HLT

• Expansion of Inland Port Greer

• Purchase of approximate 280-acre property adjacent to North Charleston Terminal.

“The Southeast market is growing, and South Carolina’s port system is perfectly positioned to support this growth with a high-performing port, solutions-oriented service, and 8 million TEUs of capacity on the horizon — an unmatched asset in the Southeast port market,” Mallace wrote in the Ports’ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.  “South Carolina is among the fastest growing states for population, GDP, and employment growth. The influx of residents and company investments will continue to drive demand for a well-run port. The infrastructure we are building today will keep SC Ports competitive for decades to come, ensuring we can support our customers’ growth for the long-term.”

He also said “our two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon are a tremendous benefit for our state's manufacturers, retailers and agricultural producers. Inland Port Greer's cargo capacity recently doubled, and we are enhancing rail connectivity in the Charleston port market.”

“With one in nine jobs in our state connected to the port, we know every container moved and infrastructure dollar invested drives a big impact,” he said.

At the Port of Charleston, Wando Welch Terminal has been successfully modernized and an enhanced North Charleston Terminal will bring significant capacity to the port in the future, Mallace said.

He added the Columbus Street Terminal remains a robust terminal for the state’s automotive sector.

“South Carolina already has the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and our highly productive port terminals are designed to speed goods to market," Mallace said. “South Carolina’s maritime community delivers operational excellence, with fast crane moves, quick turn times, instant access to imports and nearby rail connections.”

He also said companies and communities depend on the ports every day to export South Carolina-made products to international customers and import goods to keep production lines running and stores fully stocked.

And while fiscal year 2025 brought challenges and global trade uncertainty, the ports grew container volumes and handled record rail moves, Mallace said. “We are aggressively working to grow our market share and port competitiveness. This is a region where one can engineer above-market growth, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”