Georgia ports set several volume records in FY2013

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled record volumes of total tonnage, bulk cargo, auto-machinery units and freight moved by rail in fiscal-year 2013.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, the authority moved 27.2 million tons of cargo across all terminals, a 2.4 percent increase compared with FY2012.

For the second-straight year, GPA handled a record number of auto and machinery units, moving 636,942 units — up 11.7 percent year over year. GPA officials attribute the increase to new customers such as Subaru and Toyota, as well as increased heavy machinery exports from companies such as Caterpillar Inc.

Bulk cargo rose 61.8 percent to 2.5 million tons. At East River in Brunswick, Ga., biofuels, including wood pellets, helped the terminal's bulk cargo skyrocket by 151,896 tons compared with FY2012, reaching 663,441 tons.

Throughput remained steady at 2.94 million 20-foot equivalent units, making it the second-busiest year in GPA's history.

Of the total container volume, a record 314,623 containers were moved by rail, a 4,600-container increase compared with FY2012.

"Significant momentum moving into FY2014, combined with exciting developments in GPA's customer base and the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, contribute to a powerful business outlook for Georgia's ports," said GPA Chairman Robert Jepson in a prepared statement.