10/17 NEWSBREAK: S.C. Ports pumps billions into S.C. economy

South Carolina Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin delivered her second State of the Port address Monday, touting several investments — the deepened Charleston harbor and increased cargo capacities — as the reason for the port’s continued economic growth and impact for the state.

The total economic impact of South Carolina Ports is $86.7 billion annually, which supports 260,020 jobs and $17.6 billion in labor income, according to the 2023 S.C. Ports’ Economic Impact Study. Up to 73.2% of all cargo exported through S.C. Ports originate from companies located in South Carolina, the study showed.

“This economic impact can be felt in our communities as people buy homes, spend at local stores and build lives for their families,” Melvin said. The study found that port activities support one in nine jobs in the state, compared to one out of every 10 in 2019. However, the cargo handled by the port was down a slight 10%, which Melvin said allowed the port to catch its breath.

Melvin also acknowledged short-term challenges and long-term opportunities of several big-ticket public expenditures on projects designed to support and grow the port, positioning the site to be the “preferred port” in the U.S. East Coast.

Further expansion plans include a harbor barge system between the Wando and Leatherman terminals and the North Charleston Intermodal, which is designed to ease congestion, double cargo capacity and enhance rail capabilities at Inland Port Greer to handle the customer growth in the Upstate over the past decade. The expansions and future plans have placed Charleston’s port as the eighth-largest nationally in terms of cargo volumes.

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