The slim gain in container business lagged behind a 23 percent boost in bulk shipments over the same quarter a year ago to 355,292 tons, with grain and woodchip volume leading the growth.
Breakbulk volume was down slightly, the port authority said.
The authority did not disclose month-to-month figures, but the light growth in container volume to 73,805 20-foot-equivalent units follows similar weak numbers at other U.S. ports.
Overall cargo volume at the ports of Wilmington and Morehead City grew 10.9 percent over the authority’s fiscal first quarter a year ago, and container volume including Morehead City was up 2.5 percent.