Savannah sees 14 % rise in February container volumes

The Georgia Ports Authority, centered around the Port of Savannah, saw a substantial 14 percent month-on-month increase in container handling in February 2024, managing 451,670 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs). This marked a spike of 56,880 TEUs compared to the same month in the previous year.

Loaded import containers demonstrated robust growth of 19 percent, totaling 219,000 TEUs, while export loads registered a 10 percent increase, reaching 121,930 TEUs.

“I’d like to thank our customers for making Savannah the premier gateway into the U.S. Southeast for global commerce,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “The region’s fast-growing population, and an increasing number of manufacturing and logistics operations are both factors in the long-term expansion of trade through Georgia.”

February is the second consecutive month of growth for GPA, as explained by Lynch, which comes on the heels of a challenging start to the fiscal year. Hence the escalating volumes bode well for GPA’s performance in the latter half of Fiscal Year 2024, concluding in June.

In a notable feat, intermodal rail cargo achieved a record-setting performance at Savannah’s port in February. The rail volumes at the Mason Mega Rail Terminal soared to 46,890 containers, showcasing an increase of 39 percent or 13,060 lifts compared to the same period in 2023. Rail transport constituted 19 percent of GPA’s total container trade for February, with the remaining majority being transported via truck. This surge in intermodal rail cargo adds another layer of optimism for the port’s overall performance and economic outlook.

“GPA has made significant investments in rail infrastructure,” Lynch said. “That’s going to play a key role in capturing our next growth target – a greater share of the market in locations such as Dallas, Memphis and beyond.”

The Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia also set a February record, thanks in part to an increase in the import of manufacturing components. The ARP handled 3,285 containers last month, up 610 containers or 23 percent.