The Georgia Ports Authority throughput up 15.5 percent to 2.61 million tons in March
The Georgia Ports Authority achieved its highest month on record in March, moving 2.61 million tons of cargo – a 15.5 percent increase over the same month a year ago, GPA said in its press release.
The 349,682-ton increase was powered largely by double-digit container growth. The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal moved 260,539 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) during the month, up by 28,000 TEUs or 12 percent. Cargo moved by rail accounted for 254,263 containers, or about 19.8 percent of total container volume.
“A combination of new customers and retail outlets increasing inventory before the busy summer season factored into our success,” said Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “Meanwhile, at our dedicated auto port, we’re seeing an increase in volume as more carmakers choose the Port of Brunswick as their gateway to the Southeastern U.S.”
A record number of roll-on/roll-off units – more than 64,000 cars, trucks and tractors – crossed GPA docks in March, a 21 percent improvement over year-ago figures.
Strong March cargo volumes built on the previous eight months to deliver a 6.8 percent fiscal year to date increase in TEUs, for a total of 2.31 million. Ro/Ro traffic has seen even stronger growth for the fiscal year to date, reaching 503,091 units for a 7.4 percent (34,452-unit) improvement.
The GPA closed the third quarter having moved a fiscal year to date total of 21.8 million tons of freight. An 8.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year added 1.7 million tons for the current total.
“This outstanding and sustained level of growth is possible because Georgia’s deepwater ports offer faster and more economical connections to the population centers of the Southeast,” said GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson. “Delivering better service helps the GPA to retain and win the new business that has such an important impact on the nation’s economy.”
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 352,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $18.5 billion in income, $66.9 billion in revenue and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8 percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.9 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2013.
