The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal handled 129 container ship calls last month, an increase of 26 percent compared to October 2022.
“For the first time in two and a half years, all berths are open at Garden City Terminal for faster, more efficient cargo handling,” said Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch. “We appreciate our customers’ patience during the renovation of Berth 1, and look forward to providing the world-class vessel service they have come to expect from GPA.”
The Port of Savannah handled 449,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in October, for its fourth-busiest October ever and a 5 percent increase over the same month in 2019, the most recent year not affected by the pandemic.
“Our infrastructure planning efforts will be realized with Berth 1’s opening and we now have ample berth capacity to handle demand,” said GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “This timing is important for the holiday season and last-minute orders.”
Containers moved by rail grew by 9 percent at Garden City Terminal in October, an increase of nearly 4,000 containers to 47,750. At the Appalachian Regional Port, rail cargo grew by 22 percent last month for a record October.
For the fiscal year to date since July, the Port of Savannah has handled 1.7 million TEUs, a decrease of 18 percent or 382,580 TEUs compared to the same period in FY2023, which saw some of the busiest months in GPA history.
In Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, GPA handled 67,500 units of autos and machinery in October, down 5.8 percent or 4,160 units compared to the same month last year. For the fiscal year to date, GPA has handled 271,364 Ro/Ro units, up 17 percent or 39,500 units.
About Georgia Ports
Georgia’s ports and inland terminals support more than 561,000 jobs throughout the state annually, and contribute $33 billion in income, $140 billion in revenue and $3.8 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. GPA is investing in future supply chain requirements with a $1.9 billion port master plan and a $6 million workforce housing initiative. The Ports of Savannah and Brunswick benefit from an extensive supply chain ecosystem of business partners located near the port which perform essential functions in the logistics chain. CNBC ranked Georgia #1 in the U.S. for infrastructure in America’s Top States for Business in 2023.
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