Portsmouth Marine Terminal returns to business

Cargo will move through the Port of Virginia’s Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) once again.

PMT is serving as a temporary home for automobiles that are being shipped to China. It is the first cargo to be handled at PMT since the port shifted container cargo after it began leasing the modern APM Terminals in Portsmouth.

The port has been seeking new business opportunities for PMT that would not compete with its containerized cargo business.

The Port of Virginia signed a short-term, six-month memorandum of understanding between Pasha Automotive and Virginia International Terminals LLC, the operator of the port.

The agreement could be the basis for a longer-term agreement, Port of Virginia CEO John Reinhart said in a statement.

So far, 700 Chyrsler SUVs, manufactured near Toledo, Ohio, have been brought to PMT.

Two-to-three additional vehicle trains are expected to arrive. Toward the end of April, a Siem vessel is scheduled to call at the PMT and load an estimated 2,500 vehicles. Labor from the International Longshoremen’s Union will be used to drive the export vehicles onto the ship.

Reinhart said the trial shipment could create additional volumes for Chrysler and other equipment manufacturers that experience increased volumes during the memorandum of understanding.

Terms of the agreement were not released.