Port Rewrites its Record-Books: 2013 TEU Volume is The Best on Record

The Port of Virginia has closed the book on a record-setting 2013. In short, during that 12-month period, the port handled more containers and rail cargo than at any time in its history.

With the increased volume of imports and exports in 2013, the port eclipsed 2007, the best year on record to date, by 95,166 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The 2013 TEU total was 2,223,532.

“We were incredibly productive in all facets of our operation,” said Rodney W. Oliver, interim executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “The year’s production is a testament to hard work and getting back to focusing upon the core mission of moving cargo. Our growth in 2013 was 5.6 percent and that is in addition to the 9.8 percent growth we achieved in 2012. These totals demonstrate that there is a lot of confidence in The Port of Virginia.”

The port’s rail operation was tested in 2013, having handled 430,894 containers, which was 11.7 percent growth when compared with 2012.

“The port has experienced double-digit rail growth in 11 of the last 14 months,” Oliver said. “We finished 2013 with rail cargo representing 34 percent of the port’s total container traffic, which, on a calendar-year basis, is the highest percentage in the port’s history.”

Truck and barge cargo represent 62 percent and 4 percent, respectively, of total port traffic.

The 2013 cargo totals and the percentage of increase over 2012 are:

• TEUs: 2,223,532, up 5.6%
• Containers: 1,274,911, up 5.4%
• General Cargo Tonnage: 18,840,303, up 7.5%
• Total Rail Containers: 430,894, up 11.7 %

The port's strong performance throughout the year was capped-off by a busy December. In that
month, the port handled 181,091 TEUs: 99,722 exports vs. 81,369 imports. The month's general
cargo tonnage (figure includes container and breakbulk) was 1,588,778 tons. Total rail containers
handled in December were 34,358. The number of containers moved by barge service in December
was 4,030.

Calendar year TEU totals, 2013 vs. 2012:

• December 2013 = 181,091
• December 2012 = 185,750
• November 2013 = 192,918
• November 2012 = 198,720
• October 2013 = 206,597
• October 2012 = 175,330
• September 2013 = 185,185
• September 2012 = 182,318
• August 2013 = 198,329
• August 2012 = 188,658
• July 2013 = 205,137
• July 2012 = 180,384
• June 2013 = 175,864
• June 2012 = 168,430
• May 2013 = 191,368
• May 2012 = 178,584
• April 2013 = 179,370
• April 2012 = 169,644
• March 2013 = 179,518
• March 2012 = 166,719
• February 2013 = 169,390
• February 2012 = 157,050
• January 2013 = 158,766
• January 2012 = 154,300

* Fiscal 2014, July through December, was the best first half fiscal year in the history of the port
in terms of TEUs, containers, and general cargo tonnage: TEUs = 1,169,257; containers =
669,746; general cargo tonnage = 9,901,541.