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CHARLESTON – Today, Congressman Henry Brown and Senator Jim DeMint welcomed Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to Charleston. Brown and DeMint were joined by many local business leaders as they participated in a roundtable discussion. Topics included the importance of the port for both the community as well as the state of South Carolina and the nation. Brown issued the following statement:
“I was pleased to welcome Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to the Port of Charleston today. I appreciate this opportunity to discuss with him the important role the port plays in our state’s economy and our nation’s security. The Port of Charleston Customs District ranks sixth nationally in the value of waterborne commerce, growing from $22 billion in 1995 to $55 billion this year. In addition to waterborne commerce, the port also has played a significant role in troop supply, handling more than one-third of all equipment deployed to the Iraqi and Afghani theatres.
The Port of Charleston, which is known as ‘the most automated port in the country,’ is also home to Project Seahawk, the national pilot location for a joint terrorism task force, making it a highly desirable as well as productive port. To continue handling the growth of existing customers, the Ports Authority in June approved a $128-million internally-funded capital improvement program. This will expand and improve existing terminals and allow the port to handle growth over the coming five years.”
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