SOUTH Carolina Ports finished fiscal year 2024 strong with a 7 per cent uptick in container volumes moving through the Port of Charleston in June.

SC Ports handled 218,115 TEU and 121,267 pier containers last month, marking the second highest June on record. Loaded imports were up 10 per cent and loaded exports were up 5 per cent, signifying overall strength in the Southeast market.

"The Southeast market is booming, with a growing population driving imports and new manufacturing investments spurring exports," SC Ports president and CEO Barbara Melvin said.

In fiscal year 2024, SC Ports and the broader maritime community handled nearly 2.5 million TEU and 1.4 million pier containers. This is slightly down from the previous fiscal year.

Wando Welch Terminal notably achieved an all-time-record year, with more than 1.2 million containers moving across its wharf, even as toe wall construction continues at the terminal.

"SC Ports works alongside our maritime partners to provide highly productive port service and fluidity in the Southeast supply chains," Ms Melvin said.

"We remain focused on providing the operational excellence that our customers have come to expect from us, while proactively investing in port capacity to efficiently handle their growth."

Both Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon handled record cargo volumes in fiscal year 2024, with a combined 230,409 containers being moved on and off trains at the rail-served inland ports, up 24 per cent year on year.