South Carolina ports drop out of AAPA
The South Carolina Ports Authority has dropped its membership in the American Association of Port Authorities, an SCPA official confirmed, the Journal of Commerce reported.
Neither the port authority nor the AAPA would discuss the decision by the South Carolina agency, which oversees the Port of Charleston and the smaller Port of Georgetown.
The SCPA’s decision not to renew its AAPA membership when it expired at midyear leaves Charleston as the only major U.S. port that is not a member.
The AAPA represents ports throughout the Western Hemisphere. It has 135 members, including 82 U.S. ports. Two former port authority chief executives, Bernard Groseclose and the late W. Don Welch, have served as AAPA chairmen.
AAPA spokesman Aaron Ellis said association officials hope South Carolina officials will decide to rejoin.
“AAPA provides its member ports throughout the hemisphere valuable services, information, accreditation, networking, training and sharing opportunities, and we’re hopeful that the South Carolina Ports Authority will soon return as a member to take advantage of these many benefits,” Ellis said.