The Georgia Ports Authority announced a 6.5% monthly increase in total container traffic yesterday. The Port of Savannah alone moved 167,333 containers, an increase of 10,210 over November 2015.
Against the backdrop of increasing national skepticism about America’s trade policies, the Georgia Ports Authority credits a “strengthening export market and a busy peak holiday season” for the growth.
In September, Senator Isakson and other Georgia leaders announced that long-sought funding for the deepening of Savannah’s ports had finally been secured. That dredging project could be completed as early as 2019, making Savannah’s port an even more integral part of the state’s economy.
The GPA’s full press release is below the fold:
Fueled by a strengthening export market and a busy peak holiday season, the Georgia Ports Authority reported for the month of November a 6.5 percent increase in total container traffic.
“Last month capped an active peak season, with November import and export cargo growing significantly,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch.
The Port of Savannah moved 167,333 containers, an improvement of 10,210 over November 2015.
“An increasing demand for America’s exports abroad and strong consumer confidence here at home are helping to boost cargo throughput,” Lynch said.
Measured in loaded containers, an indicator of overall economic strength, total trade increased 11 percent in November. For the month, the Port of Savannah handled 246,877 loaded twenty-foot equivalent container units, a record. Loaded export TEUs totaled 107,145, an increase of approximately 10 percent, or 9,603 TEUs. Import loads grew by 12 percent, to reach 139,732 TEUs.
From September through November, the GPA moved nearly 920,000 total TEUs.
Total cargo across all GPA terminals in November reached 2.55 million tons, an increase of 2 percent, or 46,000 tons. Of that figure, container tons totaled 2.25 million tons, with breakbulk at 198,596 tons and bulk cargo totaling 100,802 tons.
“Georgia’s ports are a vital link to global trade for American manufacturing and agricultural products,” said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. “Speed, efficiency and reach are the factors that are leading more port users to choose our deepwater terminals to serve customers worldwide.”
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 369,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $20.4 billion in income, $84.1 billion in revenue and $2.3 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8.2 percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.3 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in CY2015.