The pandemic impacted port operations and supply chains worldwide, requiring ports to be more flexible and adaptable than ever before. The ability to quickly move goods to market has never been more important.
Maritime communities are working tirelessly to keep supply chains fluid, operating normally and efficiently amid great challenges. The pandemic showed the world the value of what we do, and it reinforced that we must do it well.
While uncertainty and challenges remain, cargo has rebounded, at least short-term, to pre-pandemic levels, and growth is on the horizon. Ports should invest in growing and diversifying their cargo bases to provide some buffer amid economic fluctuations.
It remains incredibly important for major ports to focus on long-term, relevant infrastructure, as large ships will continually be deployed to the US to maximize scale economies. Top container ports that wish to remain competitive must deepen their harbors and invest in big-ship capabilities.
To that end, SC Ports is opening the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal in March, continuing to invest in Wando Welch Terminal, and deepening Charleston Harbor to 52 feet — all of which will prepare us to handle four 14,000-TEU vessels simultaneously, as well as a 19,000-TEU vessel. We look forward to continually taking advantage of federal infrastructure programs to supplement our investments.
Additionally, it is critical to focus on inland infrastructure, such as inland ports and truck capacity, to serve demanding supply chain needs. This is especially important for business segments seeing significant growth, such as mega-retailers and e-commerce brands, as they see online sales soar. The ever-increasing -e-commerce distribution will require more capacity, and ports need to be a player in assuring that exists.
We continue to believe that the Southeast is the best place to be in the port business, and we see a bright future ahead.