The Georgia Ports Authority

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) set an “all-time trade record in May” when the port handled 519,390 TEU in the month, breaking the previous record of 504,350 TEU set in October 2021.

GPA’s May volumes were up by 8.5%, or 40,770 TEU, compared to May 2021. If Savannah could sustain operating at over 519,00 TEU a month for a full year the port would be handling around 6.2M TEU on an annualised basis.

May was certainly not without its challenges. At one point mid-month the GPA said nearly 28,000 import containers were sitting on the Garden City Terminal, compared with an average of 13,000 in 2020. The terminal has extended night and weekend gate hours in an effort to help clear the backlog. The port completed 327,400 truck gate moves in May, counting loaded import and export containers, as well as the movement of empty chassis. Another 48,000 containers (approximately 88,000 TEU) moved by rail in May

“Despite global supply chain challenges, the Port of Savannah continues to be an economic driver, providing reliable, world-class service for port customers across our state and nation,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “Delivering new opportunity for hardworking Georgians and supporting economic prosperity across the Peach State is central to the mission of our deepwater ports.”

GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch noted Garden City Terminal is handling more business during the current influx of trade than during the previous spike, last fall. The additional trade is driven in part by vessels diverting to Savannah from other East and West Coast ports.

“Strong consumer demand continues to drive higher volumes at the Port of Savannah,” Lynch said. “The infrastructure improvements and pop-up yards approved by the GPA Board have enabled our operations to maintain the flow of cargo across our terminal, despite unprecedented container volumes passing through the port.”

“By increasing container space at Garden City Terminal, GPA is accommodating the expansion in global commerce that supports job growth in Georgia,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “Industries from logistics to auto manufacturing, and agriculture to retail depend on Georgia’s ports for reliable supply chain solutions.