Georgia ports reached high cargo, auto volume marks in April

Last month, ports in Brunswick and Savannah, Ga., handled 2.3 million tons of freight, the fourth-highest volume on record and less than 75,000 tons from the all-time-high set in March. The ports also set an auto volume record and posted a significant gain in heavy machinery cargo.

“Georgia’s deepwater ports are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the growing export market for vehicles and heavy equipment produced in Georgia and around the Southeast,” said Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), in a prepared statement.

In anticipation of increased heavy machinery exports, GPA’s board in March approved spending $2.8 million on structural upgrades at the Port of Brunswick for roads, bridges, staging areas and rail loading/offloading areas. The port is served by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.’s Golden Isles Terminal Railroad, which interchanges with CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.


In April, the Port of Savannah handled 248,886 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down 4.2 percent year over year but 11,810 TEUs more than February’s volume. The port is served by CSXT and NS.

“The modest container volume growth for the year is reflective of a very fragile U.S. economic recovery and ongoing consumer uncertainty for the balance of 2012,” said Foltz.