Georgia ports hold strong in July

The Georgia Ports Authority increased year-over-year container and roll-on/roll-off cargo volumes.    The Port of Savannah moved 378,768 TEUs in July, an increase of 12.7 percent year-over-year, according to data released by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).
   Broken down by container type at the Port of Savannah, compared to last July:
     • Loaded imports totaled 181,875 TEUs, up 14 percent;
     • Empty imports totaled 6,806 TEUs, down 30.3 percent;
     • Loaded exports totaled 118,871 TEUs, up 12 percent;
     • And empty exports totaled 71,216 TEUs, up 17.4 percent.
   The GPA also increased roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo throughput in July by 5 percent year-over-year with 53,419 units handled, 50,850 units of which were handled at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal.
   The Port of Brunswick is about 70 miles south of the Port of Savannah, and according to the GPA, it is one of the fastest-growing auto and heavy machinery ports in North America, with more than 12 major auto manufacturers utilizing the Colonel’s Island Terminal.
   The Port of Savannah, which primarily handles container cargo, is called by 39 liner services that connect it to regions outside North America, including 33 that deploy fully cellular containerships; four that deploy pure car/truck carriers (pctc) or ro-ro vessels; one that deploys open-hatch vessels; and one that deploys multipurpose vessels, according to BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool.
   Meanwhile, the Port of Brunswick is frequented by six loops that also sail to regions outside North America, five that deploy pctc or ro-ro vessels and one that deploys open-hatch vessels.
   In terms of tonnage, the GPA’s ports collectively handled 3.15 million tons of cargo in July, an increase of 10.4 percent year-over-year.