The Georgia Ports Authority container throughput up 19.2 percent in July
The Georgia Ports Authority reached an all-time high in container trade in July, moving 293,889 twenty-foot equivalent container units, a 19.2 percent increase over the previous year, GPA said in its press release.
“Improved confidence among U.S. retailers, newly added port customers, and shifting cargo from U.S. West to East Coast are all fueling the growing cargo volumes at Georgia’s deepwater ports,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “Savannah has the space to more than double its throughput as more shippers choose East Coast ports to serve the fast-growing Southeastern U.S.”
GPA surpassed its previous TEU record set in May by 3,453 units. The July TEU performance was up 47,237 TEUs compared to July 2013. Since January, the Port of Savannah has averaged 269,688 TEUs per month.
“The Port of Savannah’s phenomenal growth is a powerful engine creating jobs and economic opportunity,” said GPA Board Chairman James Walters. “Our ability to anticipate demand by boosting container handling capacity and efficiency has been instrumental in our success.”
In overall trade, 2.52 million tons of cargo moved across GPA docks in July, up 12.8 percent or 287,600 tons compared to the same month a year ago. Of that figure, container trade accounted for 2.14 million tons, up 15.7 percent from the 1.85 million tons of containerized goods GPA moved in July 2013.
In roll-on/roll-off traffic, the GPA moved 61,860 units of autos and heavy machinery, up 8.5 percent or 4,870 compared to the same period last year. In the broader breakbulk category, throughput reached 226,493 tons, up 7 percent from the 211,638 tons moved last July. At East River Terminal in Brunswick, bulk cargo such as wood pellets exported as alternative fuel saw a 12.8 percent increase (7,184 tons) to reach 63,126 tons.
“These strong numbers are possible because of the success we help port customers achieve,” Walters said. “The ease of doing business through a single-operator container terminal, combined with unmatched interstate and rail access, make GPA’s deepwater ports the leading hubs for global trade in the Southeast.”
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.
