NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The Port of Virginia's cargo volume increased 11 percent in September compared with the same month last year.

The port said Friday that it handled more than 180,000 cargo units, up from about 164,000 units in 2011.

So far this year, the port has handled more than 1.5 million cargo units compared with more than 1.4 million units compared with the same period last year.

Rodney W. Oliver is the Virginia Port Authority's interim executive director. He says the port has experienced eight consecutive months of growth. He also noted in a statement that the port has experienced its best month in its history in four of the last five months.