SIMIC

July was the fourth consecutive month of TEU volumes exceeding 317,000 units. The combined volume of April, May, June and July is 1.3 million TEU, resulting in the busiest four-month stretch in port history.

Comparatively, the total TEU volume for the same period in 2021 was 1.17 million TEU, a difference of more than 10 per cent.

Stephen A Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, is expecting business to remain strong during the peak retail months leading up to the holiday season.

"We've brought on 10 new vessel services in the last 12 months and 5 of those in the last 5 months, so our growth is attributable to the reworked [and new] ship line services that are calling here and our efficiency is the result of an experienced team maximising modern terminals," Mr Edwards said.

"What we are seeing is growing interest from ship lines and cargo owners that are working to restore some predictability and reliability to their vessel services and supply chains. We have a proven track-record of success in what remains a challenging trade environment and the result is growth at The Port of Virginia."