Charleston’s container harbor is in the ninth largest container port in the U.S. and it is 
growing faster than any of the other top ten ports. That statistic, along with a great deal of information about Charleston harbor and the container port, was presented on May 15 to the Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange Club by Ms. Jordi Yarborough, Senior Vice President, External Affairs at the South Carolina Ports Authority.
Among other interesting statistics presented are:
• 1.3 million containers pass through the port yearly and that number is growing at about 8% per year
• 8,000 trucks enter and leave Ports Authority property each day
• 250,000 BMWs and Volvos are exported from the port each year
• Charleston Harbor is the deepest harbor on the east coast.
Ms. Yarborough also discussed the Ports Authority inter-modal rail capabilities where containers are loaded onto freight trains, reducing pressure on the highway system and lessening pollution. Twenty-two percent of Charleston’s traffic flows through the inter-modal channel.
Ms. Yarborough joined the Ports Authority in 2017 and she is responsible for the Port Authority’s external relationships, including government relations, media and public relations, advertising, website, and digital efforts. She also manages their community outreach programs, including the Port Ambassadors business leadership program.
-Submitted by Lori Leary