Staff Report
Published Aug. 21, 2012

The S.C. State Ports Authority has decided not to renew its membership in the 101-year-old American Association of Port Authorities.

Charleston is the only major U.S. seaport that is not a member of the association, which represents major ports in the Western Hemisphere. The organization, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., has 135 members, including 82 ports in the United States.

The state agency dropped its membership for 2013 and “will review that decision moving forward,” said authority spokeswoman Allison Skipper.

“The Ports Authority is focused on our No. 1 strategic priority — the deepening of Charleston Harbor — and to advance that project we have placed a lot of resources at the federal level,” Skipper said. “We will continue to evaluate our membership in the association, especially as we reduce our own federal presence.”

The association is hopeful South Carolina will decide to rejoin, spokesman Aaron Ellis told the Journal of Commerce.

“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 told the publication.