In May, the Georgia Ports Authority managed 490,330 TEUs, marking a 22% increase compared to the same month last year. This rise equates to an additional 90,000 TEUs.
Also, the Port of Savannah has experienced significant growth due to a strengthening retail market and an influx of new customers.
“Major retail customers tell Georgia Ports they have increased their orders to rebuild inventories and to meet rising consumer demand. Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in trade among Tier 1 suppliers for the new Hyundai Meta Plant, which also added to our May container volumes,” stated Griff Lynch, president and CEO of GPA.
Despite reports of congestion at Southeast U.S. ports, Lynch stated that there is no congestion in Savannah. He mentioned that the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is benefiting from source shifting, as more manufacturers are setting up production facilities in Southeast Asia that favour delivery via Savannah.
The Port of Savannah has seen an increase in container trade every month in 2024 compared to 2023. GPA’s performance in May improved by 11% over its April numbers.
Lynch also noted that June is expected to see strong positive growth, with over 320,000 TEUs of import cargo currently en route to Savannah.
In intermodal cargo, the Appalachian Regional Port achieved a record May, with the inland rail terminal moving 3,600 containers. At the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal, 44,000 forty-foot containers were moved by rail last month, an increase of 2% or 900 containers.
For the calendar year to date, GPA has handled a total of 2.2 million TEUs, up 12.7% over the same period in 2023.
“The teamwork among our GPA employees and our supply chain partners delivers unmatched service for our customers. In order to press Georgia’s logistical advantage, the Board is investing significantly in new capacity across our docks, container yards, truck gates and rail connections,” commented Kent Fountain, board chairman of GPA Board.
From January through May, the Port of Savannah has handled 770 vessels, marking an increase of 36 compared to the same period last year.
