Port of Savannah saw slowdown in January
Business was down at the Port of Savannah to begin the year, with total containerized cargo dropping by 55,000 twenty-foot equivalent units in month one compared to January of last year.
The decrease in TEUs was fueled in part by a reduction in orders from retailers and manufacturers, which caused a 16% decline in imports. Weather was also a factor, delaying six vessels that had been scheduled to call at Savannah late last month.
Exports were a bright spot for the port. Loaded container exports from Savannah grew 21% last month compared to January of last year. The port handled 110,305 TEUs for export in January, an increase of 19,419 TEUs.
“We’re excited to support a strong month for American farms and factories at the Port of Savannah,” said Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority. “We achieved particularly robust growth last month in export trade lanes to Europe and the Mediterranean.”
The jump in exports from the Port of Savannah came as Gov. Brian Kemp was announcing that Georgia achieved a record-breaking year for international trade in 2022 for the second year in a row. The state’s total trade last year exceeded $196 billion across 221 countries and territories.
That showing included more than $47 billion in exports in 2022, breaking the previous record by nearly $5 billion and representing an 11% increase over the previous year.
Joel Wooten, the ports authority’s board chairman, said the authority is using the current reduction in traffic to make significant progress on infrastructure projects that will be needed as demand returns.
“Being prepared to take advantage of opportunities as they arise requires steady leadership and an eye toward long-term trends,” Wooten said. “Our board’s commitment to constant infrastructure improvement, even during down times, means our customers have a ready partner in growth when they need to expand their Georgia operations.”
PORT REPORTS GROWTH IN 2022
The Georgia Ports Authority handled a record 5.9 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) of cargo during the last calendar year, an increase of 5% over 2021.
The Port of Savannah achieved four of its top five months for container volume during the year, peaking in August with an all-time high of 575,500 TEUs.
“It was a challenging year, but collaborative effort across Georgia’s supply chain ensured cargo movement remained fluid,” said Griff Lynch, the authority’s executive director. “I want to thank our board for approving new infrastructure that allowed us to handle more cargo.”
Capacity at the Port of Savannah is expected to increase to 7.5 million TEUs this year and 9 million by 2025 due to the renovation of Berth 1 at the Garden City Terminal, the 90-acre Garden City Terminal West expansion, and the planned transition of Ocean Terminal to an allcontainer facility.
“We’re excited about the possibilities ahead,” authority board Chairman Joel Wooten said Tuesday. “We’re bringing to market faster vessel service, quicker turn times for trucks, and more room to grow business.”
In addition to record container-cargo traffic last year, the ports authority saw a 16% increase in breakbulk tonnage to nearly 3.3 million tons, up 443,000 tons compared to 2021.
Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 651,101 units of autos and heavy machinery, while Ocean Terminal in Savannah moved another 19,630 Roll-On/ Roll-Off units, for a total of 670,731, an increase of 0.4%.
Total tonnage crossing all ports authority docks reached 42.4 million tons last year, an increase of about 2%.