US East Coast ports see record cargo volumes

The Port of Corpus Christi ended June 2021 with a new record quarter and a record first half of the year, moving nearly 80.5m tonnes of cargo in the first six months of the year.

The Port’s first-half 2021 total tonnage yielded a 4.7% increase over the same period in 2020, largely due to a 72% year-over-year increase in LNG exports, a 42% year-over-year increase in agriculture commodities, and a 3.6% increase in crude oil exports. Crude oil exports for the first half of 2021 averaged 1.58m barrels per day, slightly above the 2020 full year run rate.

“As global economies continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are seeing strong demand for energy-related products originating in Texas,” said Sean Strawbridge, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. 

The Port of Virginia also, set a new annual cargo record at fiscal year ending June 30, moving 3.2m teu and a record 280,000 teu in this June.

During ten months in a row the port registered record cargo volumes pushing its total teu volume for the fiscal year to a new record, with 17% increase on 2020 and nearly 10% over the last record-setting year, FY2019. The port received the 16,000-teu CMA CGM Marco Polo - the largest vessel to call the US east coast.

"For much of the fiscal year, we were handling record volumes under COVID-restricted conditions, and we did so safely, swiftly, and sustainably. We consistently handled record-breaking volumes at industry-leading performance levels," said Stephen A. Edwards, Port of Virgina CEO

Related:Crude oil shipments boost Port of Corpus Christi to 2020 tonnage record

As elsewhere in the US, import volume and empty-container export volume were the primary drivers of growth.

"We expect to see strong volumes as we head deeper into the summer and the beginning of peak season," Edwards said. "We’re going to keep working our plan of adding assets and, if necessary, hours to the operation, to ensure cargo flow and accommodate the cargo owners."