Savannah, Ga. – April 15, 2015 -The Georgia Ports Authority increased containerized cargo in March by 27.8 percent compared to the same month a year ago, for an additional 72,499 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs).

For the first time ever, the Port of Savannah moved 333,058 TEUs in a single month, surpassing its previous monthly record set in October 2014 by more than 21,000 TEUs.

“We are moving record volumes while maintaining excellent service levels for our customers,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “Our March numbers have once again demonstrated the scale, flexibility and efficiency of the Garden City Terminal. Freight handling remained fluid, even with demand well above forecasts.”

“A 28 percent increase in container volume shows the level of trust cargo owners have in our efficient ports, and translates into jobs for Georgia and the U.S. Southeast,” said GPA Board Chairman James Walters. “The ability to quickly move cargo to and from important inland markets via superior road and rail connections is a key reason Georgia is ranked the Number 1 state for business.”

Foltz added that the GPA is taking steps to increase capacity at Garden City Terminal, including construction of a new truck gate and the purchase of 30 rubber-tired gantry cranes, which will bring the total number to 146 RTGs.

March also capped an active third quarter, which helped to deliver a 15.3 percent increase in TEU volumes for the fiscal year to date. For the nine-month period, GPA moved 2.66 million TEUs, an increase of 352,381 compared to the same period last year.

In other commodity groups, breakbulk cargo – a category including goods such as steel, paper and rubber – has improved by 7.6 percent (144,968 tons) compared to FY2014, to reach 2.04 million tons. Bulk cargo, ranging from wood pellets to vegetable oil and other agricultural products, increased by 4.1 percent (87,429 tons) through March for a total of 2.21 million tons.

Find print-quality images of port operations here. 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. 

For additional information, please contact GPA’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855. Visit the GPA web site at www.gaports.com.