Best ever month for Georgia Ports Authority

July was the ‘best ever month’ in the history of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), with more than a quarter of a million teu being handled at the Port of Savannah, continuing eight consecutive months of double-digit growth.

A total of 251,126 teu were handled, an increase of 20.7% or an additional 43,040 teu, compared to the volume for the same month last year. Overall tonnage totalled 2.2m tonnes, a gain of 15.6% or an additional 297,417 tonnes compared with July 2009.

“We have set a new benchmark for monthly volume at the Port of Savannah,” said GPA’s executive director Curtis Foltz.

Emphasising that the port authority had continued to invest throughout the past two years of recession, Foltz added, “Our strategic planning has ensured that Georgia’s deepwater ports are poised to handle the growth demands necessary to advance economic development and opportunity”.

Although acknowledging that global demand for vessel space and equipment availability remains strong in most markets, with demand outpacing available capacity, Foltz warned that current projections for continued strong activity into the third quarter are less certain.

“We continue to be cautiously optimistic as we plan for upcoming volume and remain well positioned for long-term growth and increased economic gains."

At GPA’s Port of Brunswick, the movement of cars and machinery units also averaged double-digit growth over the past eight months, with the Colonel’s Island ro-ro terminal moving 35,789 units in July, up 89.3%, whilst break-bulk volumes at Mayor’s Point recorded a 25.4% increase.
(Source:www.container-mag.com)