Virginia Ports March container volume rises 22.3pc

VIRGINIA Ports Authority's (VPA) March figures saw container volume at Hampton Roads increase 22.3 per cent to 167,262 TEU year on year with April promising new gains.

Port authority spokesman Joe Harris said the increase is the third month in a row across the VPA state-owned terminals and APM Terminals' facility, indicating an improving economy after a drop between March 2006 and 2009 with the 133,358-TEU nadir in February 2009.

"We're cautiously optimistic about the trend we're seeing," he said in report from The Virginian-Pilot, acknowledging figures were weak against March 2007 and 2006 robust numbers of 186,342-TEU and 172,121-TEU respectively.

Savannah posted 227,861-TEU in March, a 32.5 per cent increase from a year earlier. The Port of New York/New Jersey figures for February with March pending reveal a slight drop of 0.2 per cent to 283,142 compared to month previous exclusive of empties, said the Pilot.

(Source: www.schednet.com)