Fueled by a strengthening export market and a busy peak holiday season, the Georgia Ports Authority reported a 6.5% increase in total container traffic for November 2016.
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,” said Griff Lynch, GPA executive director.
Measured in loaded containers, an indicator of overall economic strength, total trade rose 11% 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, a gain of approximately 10%, or 9,603 TEUs. Import loads grew by 12% to reach 139,732 TEUs.
From September through November 2016, 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%, 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 Jimmy Allgood, GPA board chairman. “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% of the US containerized cargo volume and 10.3% of all US containerized exports in calendar year 2015.
For more information, see www.gaports.com.
