Savannah container volume up 9.7%

Savannah container volume up 9.7%    The Port of Savannah saw containerized volumes rise 9.7 percent to nearly 2.64 million TEU in the fiscal year ending June 30.
   Exports, which include wood pulp, paper, paperboard, clay, chemicals, and food such as poultry, meat, orange and other citrus fruit and juices and concentrates, were up even more sharply, to 15.5 percent.
   Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz said Thursday, in an annual state-of-the-port address, that it was a “remarkable recovery” from 2009.

Foltz

   He also called on his audience to become involved in efforts to have the Savannah River dredged, saying harbor deepening was the most important factor for the port’s future success.
   The port “must be prepared for the demands of global shipping after the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014. With larger vessels already calling on the Port of Savannah, it is imperative that the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is approved and remains on schedule,' Foltz said.
   The port said an environmental impact statement on the deepening plan is expected in mid- to late-October 2010.
   GPA said total tonnage at the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick was 24.3 million tons, up 7.3 percent. Bulk tonnage slipped 7.3 percent to 2.2 million tons, while breakbulk tonnage was fell 14.8 percent to 1.6 million tons. Auto units rose 16 percent to 340,050 units.