Terminal connecting Asia, Southeast reopens at South Carolina Ports

A vital terminal at the Port of Charleston connecting Asia and the Southeast is back in service.

South Carolina Ports has reopened Leatherman Terminal, working a vessel with its International Longshoremen’s Association partners and the support of the maritime community, according to a news release.

SC Ports will resume Leatherman Terminal gates for receiving containers today, Thursday, Sept. 26, in support of a major weekly Asia service, set to begin early next month, the release stated.

Israeli cargo company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services will bring its ZCP service to Leatherman Terminal, the release stated. The first-in-Asia call provides shippers with a critical weekly connection between Asia and the U.S. Southeast consumer market.

“The reopening of Leatherman Terminal is a monumental day for our world-class port system,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said in the release. “In partnership with the ILA, employers and greater maritime community, we are thrilled to once again provide excellent port service at Leatherman Terminal for the benefit of our ocean carrier and cargo owner customers.”

The 15,000-TEU, LNG-powered ZIM Mount Blanc is scheduled to call Leatherman Terminal on Oct. 6, according to the release.

“This weekly service is the first of many to come as we resume operations at Leatherman Terminal, providing more capacity and fluidity for the U.S. East Coast port market,” Melvin said in the release. “This first-in-call from Asia is a significant competitive advantage for shippers moving goods through the Port of Charleston.”

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Leatherman Terminal is the newest ocean terminal to open in the United States in more than a decade, according to the release. The opening unlocks an additional 700,000 TEUs in Charleston Harbor, with a planned capacity for 2.4 million TEUs at full build out.

“The reopening of Leatherman Terminal makes our entire port system more competitive in the Southeast port market,” SC Ports Board Chairman Bill Stern said in the release. “The Southeast is booming, South Carolina is growing, and SC Ports is well-positioned to support this growth by efficiently moving cargo for port-dependent businesses.”

The ZIM ZPC service, which MSC and Maersk also ride on, offers direct Charleston calls with Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Kingston, Charleston, Savannah, Norfolk, Kingston, Busan and Qingdao.