State ports authority pauses Leatherman terminal operations

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The South Carolina State Ports Authority will temporarily halt operations at its underused Leatherman Terminal, completing the shutdown by Aug. 1 for an undetermined period as it tries to cut costs amid a global trade slowdown. Five Mediterranean Shipping Co. vessels currently call weekly; MSC is cutting one route and the other four will move to North Charleston or Wando Welch terminals. Leatherman's first phase handled 75,455 containers in 11 months—about 10% of capacity—while Wando Welch handled nearly 1.1 million; Leatherman faces higher costs after a 2024 Supreme Court ruling allowing the International Longshoremen's Association to hold all jobs there.

Leatherman will pause operations by Aug. 1 to reduce costs.