We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Port of Virginia sees cargo volume drop in May, says Covid-19 slump will continue through August

Port of Virginia sees cargo volume drop in May, says Covid-19 slump will continue through August

Container ships cancel trips as port turns to infrastructure improvements, support of Black Americans in protesting systemic racist practices.

Port of Virginia covid
June 15, 2020
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

The Port of Virginia said today that cargo volume in May plummeted 22.7% to its biggest year-over-year drop since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the trend could continue throughout August as containerships persist in canceling trips.

The amount of cargo moving across the port’s terminals in May declined by more than 59,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) when compared with the same month in 2019, slumping from 146,018 to 112,913.

Viewed through a longer lens, the port has now seen a 13.0% decline for its calendar year to date (from January through May) and a 6.4% drop for its fiscal year to date (from July through May). However, the full effect of the virus remains to be seen, since most of the impact in those statistics comes from a limited number of months. The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared Covid-19 to be a global pandemic on March 11, followed by lockdown orders on March 20 in California and March 30 in Virginia, among others.

“It is a significant loss in volume that is being felt throughout the organization and the situation is similar across the entire maritime industry,” John Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a release. “We are forecasting that this trend will continue through the end of summer because our customers are telling us that the blank sailings will continue into early September. The blank sailings were supposed to subside in early August, but the ocean carriers are telling us the volume just isn’t there yet. Our economy is reawakening and we are optimistic about the future, but the recovery is going to take time and patience.”

While the flow of physical cargo at the facility has slowed significantly, the port is still investing in initiatives such as infrastructure improvement projects and on civil rights support for minority citizens and port employees.

The infrastructure work includes progress on the expansion of Norfolk International Terminals’ (NIT’s) south-side container stack yard, the 55-foot channel project, and Orsted’s offshore-wind project at Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT), the port said. Specifically, the final group of automated stacking cranes arrived in May, as NIT nears completion of its expansion this Fall. The site’s channel dredging project is running ahead of schedule, and PMT is preparing for the arrival of Orsted in late 2020.

According to the port, it is also supporting the effort “to confront the realities of the systemic racist practices and injustice that have been part of the daily lives of Black Americans.” That issue was brought to the nation’s discussion some three weeks ago, following the death of George Floyd, the black man who was held in an extended choke-hold by Minneapolis police officers. To highlight that event, dock workers at several ports held work stoppages last week for nearly nine minutes, matching the time that Floyd had been pinned to the ground.

The Port of Virginia says it also participated in that demonstration by joining union employees and industry peers in support of an hour of reflection on Floyd’s death. “This effort is as important as anything we are doing right now,” Reinhart said in a release. “We must show one another and our communities that we are steadfast in confronting the realities of our system and we are committed to our values and to each other. We stand in solidarity with the Black community in the fight against a centuries- old pattern of violence and suppression. There is a significant amount of work that lies ahead, but we cannot be deterred by that. Open, honest, and compassionate dialogue with each other and the willingness to listen and learn are the beginnings of positive change.”

We, the colleagues of The Port of Virginia, remain committed to our values and to each other, and we stand together in solidarity with the Black community in the fight against a centuries-old pattern of violence and suppression. #BlackLivesMatter #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/G3DP59r6Xw

— The Port of Virginia (@PortofVirginia) June 4, 2020
Maritime & Ocean Coronavirus Coverage
KEYWORDS Port of Virginia
  • Related Articles

    Monthly cargo volume declines at Port of NY and NJ

    Cargo volume down 5% at Port of Virginia

    Port of Virginia imports first containers of rare Covid-19 test kits, medical gear

  • Related Events

    LINk2021: The Retail Supply Chain Conference

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

Descartes expands customs compliance toolkit with $36 million QuestaWeb acquisition.

CMA/CGM to add LNG-powered ships to U.S. service

Buyers could target warehousing and fulfillment operations in 2021, investment bank says

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Relaxed regulations for drone parcel delivery to take effect in March

  • IBM survey says digitalization trends will sweep trucking industry by 2030

  • Gartner survey signals increased investment in resilience over the next two years

  • Increasing Urgency for Vaccine Supplies Drives Launch of New Vaccine Manufacturing Resources on Thomasnet.com

  • What Level of Automation is Right for Your Warehouse?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Ef7899d1 1c83 487b 9291 8af692931c96

myQ Dock Management

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Introducing myQ Dock Management. Connect your loading dock equipment and iDock Controls from Poweramp, McGuire, or DLM to the cloud and view your loading activity online with myQ Dock Management.Facilities with myQ can monitor the real-time status of their docks and be proactive in improving efficiency and safety. ...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Time to rethink your lift truck power

  • Warehouse Management System Project Toolkit

  • Solving Talent Management Challenges Now and In the Future

  • Shaping Up Last Mile Delivery to Surpass Customer Expectations

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing