Amid a volatile economic environment that has stalled growth rates throughout the transportation sector, the South Carolina port authority today announced a plan for “aggressive growth” in 2026.
Saying the port’s current infrastructure offers “ample capacity for the foreseeable future,” South Carolina Ports President and CEO Micah Mallace said the facility should shift momentum away from long-cycle infrastructure towards strengthening its cargo base and prioritizing opportunities for immediate growth.
Specifically, that plan includes a multi-year effort to use SC Ports’ real estate to facilitate growth projects for businesses, help to back projects with partners who generate growth, focus on revenue-generating infrastructure, and offer creative solutions and white-glove service to BCOs.
That strategy comes as the nation’s transportation modes struggle with depressed cargo rates, fluctuating tariff threats, and unpredictable federal trade policies. Indeed, although inland ports had strong growth, SC Ports itself saw tempered container volumes and merely “stable” growth in its 2025 fiscal year.
“As the three-year freight recession persists, spot rates are down, and volatility becomes the new normal, the port market will continue to have to operate in a challenging environment,” Mallace said in his first State of the Port address since being named to the organization’s top job just three weeks ago. “We see the same challenges as our competitors, but we are not satisfied with 3% year-over-year growth in the container segment. There is work to be done, but there is also opportunity and cause for optimism.”
According to Mallace, SC Ports has heavily invested in long-cycle infrastructure, as the U.S. Southeast is projected to experience the largest population gains in the country by 2050. For example, the Port of Charleston has the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast, has secured a path to 10 million TEUs at its marine terminals, and has invested to ensure its rail capabilities match the growth occurring in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast.
With those pieces in place, he said immediate growth is the critical path forward. “There will be challenges, but they are surmountable,” Mallace said. “SC Ports was the fastest growing U.S. container port for nearly a decade. We have done this before, and we can achieve it again. Generating growth necessitates a momentum change, and momentum change requires bold initiatives. This is a region where one can engineer above-market growth, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”