Cargo volume up 1.2% last year, Bridges says

Cargo volume at the port of Hampton Roads, as measured in standard 20-foot container units, grew 1.2 percent in 2011 compared with the year before, the Virginia Port Authority announced.

The East Coast’s third-largest port handled 1,918,029 such 20-foot container units, known as TEUs, up from 1,895,018. “We posted growth in all core areas including container volume, in our rail, breakbulk and auto operations and at VIP (Virginia Inland Port),” said Jerry A. Bridges, the VPA executive director, in a statement on the authority’s blog.

Neither of the port’s biggest East Coast competitors – No. 1 New York/New Jersey and No. 2 Savannah, Ga. – has reported December totals on its website.

Through November both ports reported year-over-year cargo-volume growth at or near 5 percent.

New York/New Jersey grew 5 percent, handling 3,961,100 units through November. Savannah gained 4.7 percent, moving 2,729,857 units.

- Robert McCabe

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