Quarterly volumes up 3 percent at Port of Virginia

The Port of Virginia reported a 7 percent dip in cargo traffic in September following closures during Hurricane Florence.

Still, the port said its cargo volumes are up 3 percent for the first quarter of its fiscal year.

The port was closed to vessel traffic for three-and-a-half days while the hurricane approached the East Coast.

“We lost 10 percent of our workdays in September as a result of the storm, and that is a significant amount of time for our vessel traffic to be idled,” John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a statement. “The closure was necessary to ensure the safety of our colleagues, facilities, cargo and customers. We were fortunate, especially when compared with our neighbors in North Carolina. During these events our posture will always be to err on the side of caution.”

On a fiscal year basis, which began July 1, loaded exports were up 2 percent, while loaded imports were up 4 percent. Volume at the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal is 16 percent ahead of last year’s first quarter.

Cargo moving on the Richmond Express barge is up nearly 58 percent.

The port did not close during Hurricane Michael this week although gate hours were altered slightly at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth.