Port of Charleston, SC rail freight: what lands here and where it goes inland
The largest vessel imports here, year to date through July 2026, are organic chemicals (about $1,382 million), plastics and resin (about $1,270 million), rubber (about $1,246 million) among the 22 commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks. The port district is reached by CSX and Norfolk Southern, which is what makes the Charleston gateway useful for shippers whose plants sit hundreds of miles inland. This page pairs the Census import data behind the Commodity Flow Map port layer with the railroads, transload capacity and inland lanes that turn a vessel arrival into a rail move.
Top imports by vessel
Vessel imports at Charleston, SC, year to date through July 2026, US$ millions, for the commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks.
| HS chapter | Commodity group | Vessel imports YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Organic chemicals · chemicals by rail | $1,382M |
| 39 | Plastics and resin | $1,270M |
| 40 | Rubber | $1,246M |
| 09 | Coffee and tea | $735M |
| 72 | Iron and steel · steel by rail | $715M |
| 73 | Steel articles and pipe · steel by rail | $623M |
| Total, tracked chapters | $7,627M | |
Railroads at the port
- CSX
- Norfolk Southern (NS)
Where more than one Class I reaches a port, the routing choice sets the inland rate, the interchange points and which inland terminals are single-line. That is the first question a lane audit answers.
Rail transload and terminal capacity nearby
Rail-served transload facilities within 30 miles of the port, from the Steel Wheel Transload Directory:
- South Carolina Ports — Columbus Street Terminal — Charleston, SC (1 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
- Transflo CSXT — Charleston, SC (7 mi): Air Compressor, Blower, Bulk Conveyor, Liquid Pumps
- Odfjell Terminals — North Charleston, SC (9 mi): transload-terminal; Liquid Pumps, Liquid Storage Tanks, Sampling Services, Scale
- Shipyard River Terminal-Kinder Morgan — Charleston, SC (4 mi)
- TRANSFLO - Charleston, SC — North Charleston, SC (6 mi)
- Carver Maritime Charleston — North Charleston, SC (6 mi): third-party-warehouse
- Sunland Logistics Solutions — North Charleston, SC (8 mi): third-party-warehouse; Blending Meters, Hot Water Heating, Liquid Storage Tanks, Sampling Services
- Palmetto Railways — North Charleston, SC (9 mi)
Distances are straight-line from the port's Census coordinates. Capabilities are as listed by the operator; confirm before routing.
Typical inland lanes from this port
How the top import groups typically move inland from Charleston. These describe the flow, not a price: run the indicative rail rate from Charleston for a first number.
- Imported alcohols, solvents and chemical intermediates move in tank cars to chemical, pharmaceutical and coatings plants along the Gulf Coast, the Ohio Valley and the Northeast. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
- Imported resin and polymer moves in covered hoppers and boxcars to compounders and converters across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
- Imported natural rubber and rubber goods move in boxcars to tire plants and manufacturers in the Southeast, Ohio Valley and Midwest. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
- Imported green coffee and tea move in boxcars to roasters and distribution centers in the Midwest, Northeast and Texas. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
- Imported steel slab, coil and plate moves inland to mills, pipe makers and service centers in the Ohio Valley, Texas, the Southeast and the Upper Midwest. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
- Imported line pipe, tubular goods and fabricated steel moves to pipe yards, fabricators and energy basins in Texas, Oklahoma, the Rockies and the Appalachian shale region. Indicative rail rate from Charleston.
Priced lanes from Charleston
Indicative single-car estimates from our rate model for lanes we have already priced out of this port. Not a quote; the serving railroad confirms the rate.
| Destination | Commodity | Rail miles | Indicative rate / car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | Plastic pellets | 1,256 | $10,611 |
| Cincinnati, OH | Chemicals | 810 | $8,966 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Steel | 1,002 | $8,567 |
Common questions
Which railroads serve the Port of Charleston?
CSX and Norfolk Southern reach the Charleston, SC port district.
What does the Port of Charleston import the most?
By vessel value, year to date through July 2026, the largest imports at Charleston among the chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks are organic chemicals (about $1,382 million), plastics and resin (about $1,270 million), rubber (about $1,246 million). Total tracked vessel imports were about $7,627 million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau International Trade API.
Can I move imported organic chemicals from Charleston inland by rail?
The largest tracked vessel import group at Charleston is organic chemicals (about $1,382 million year to date through July 2026), and the port district is reached by CSX and Norfolk Southern. The Steel Wheel transload directory lists at least 8 rail-served transload facilities within 30 miles of the port. Use the indicative rail rate tool for a first estimate and a lane audit to confirm routing; estimates are indicative until confirmed with the serving railroad.
Moving imports inland from Charleston?
Steel Wheel Logistics is an outsourced rail department: we route, price and manage rail moves from the port to your plant. Rate estimates are indicative only until confirmed with the serving railroad.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API, general imports by port of entry, vessel value, year to date through July 2026. Steel Wheel Logistics analysis.