The Georgia Ports Authority has reported a 2.5% decrease in container volumes through April. This drop is largely attributed to a softer market environment and the impact of last year's tariff-driven shipping patterns....
The Georgia Ports Authority has reported a 2.5% decrease in container volumes through April. This drop is largely attributed to a softer market environment and the impact of last year's tariff-driven shipping patterns.
So far in this fiscal year, the Port of Savannah has processed about 4.7 million TEUs, which is 118,422 TEUs lower than the same timeframe last year. In April alone, Savannah handled 443,650 TEUs, marking a nearly 14% decrease compared to April 2025, when the port experienced its busiest month ever.
Officials from the port noted that last year’s higher volumes were due to shippers moving cargo earlier in anticipation of tariffs.
“Our customers are managing in a softer market with increased operating costs,” stated Griff Lynch, President and CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority. “We are committed to increasing our capacity over the long term so that when the market improves, we can efficiently support their growth.”
Despite the lower container numbers, the GPA is moving forward with one of the largest port expansion programs in the nation. Their 10-year strategy includes $5 billion in investments, which will fund five new container berths in Savannah and a new Roll-on/Roll-off berth in Brunswick.
At Savannah’s Ocean Terminal, a renovation project costing nearly $1.6 billion is halfway complete. This project aims to increase the terminal’s container capacity from 200,000 TEUs to 1.75 million TEUs annually. The work on the second berth is set to finish in June 2026, allowing the terminal to accommodate two large vessels at the same time.
Additionally, Georgia Ports opened the Gainesville Inland Port on May 4, which provides direct rail service between Northeast Georgia and the Port of Savannah. This $134 million facility, operated by Norfolk Southern, is expected to transfer 26,000 containers from truck to rail in its first year, with a potential annual capacity of up to 200,000 containers.
In Brunswick, RoRo volumes increased by 2% in April, reaching 64,305 units, while the overall volumes for the fiscal year so far dropped by 11.8% to 639,574 units. The GPA noted that Brunswick was still the country's busiest auto port in 2025, managing 779,000 auto units and over 53,000 units of heavy machinery.
Lastly, the GPA board has reappointed Alec Poitevint as chairman, Chris Womack as vice chairman, and Ben Tarbutton III as secretary-treasurer.