An aerial view of container operations at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal, where Georgia Ports Authority is expanding capacity amid softer cargo volumes and long-term growth plans. Photo courtesy Georgia Ports
Georgia Ports Authority reported a 2.5% decline in container volumes through April as softer market conditions and last year’s tariff-driven front-loading weighed on comparisons.
The Port of Savannah handled approximately 4.7 million TEUs during the fiscal year to date, down 118,422 TEUs from the same period last year. In April, Savannah moved 443,650 TEUs, a nearly 14% decline from April 2025, which was the port’s busiest April on record.
Port officials said last year’s volumes were boosted by shippers pulling cargo forward ahead of tariffs.
“Our customers are managing through a softer market with higher operating costs,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch. “The Georgia Ports Authority remains focused on delivering capacity for the longer term so when the market changes we are ready to seamlessly absorb their growth.”
Despite the softer container numbers, GPA is pressing ahead with one of the largest port expansion programs in the country. Its 10-year plan calls for $5 billion in investments, including five new container berths in Savannah and a new Roll-on/Roll-off berth in Brunswick.
At Savannah’s Ocean Terminal, a nearly $1.6 billion renovation has reached the halfway point. The project is designed to expand the 200-acre terminal’s annual container capacity from 200,000 TEUs to 1.75 million TEUs. Work on the second berth is expected to be completed in June 2026, allowing the terminal to handle two large vessels simultaneously.
Georgia Ports also opened the Gainesville Inland Port on May 4, adding direct rail service between Northeast Georgia and the Port of Savannah. The $134 million Norfolk Southern-served facility is expected to shift 26,000 containers from truck to rail in its first year, with eventual capacity of up to 200,000 containers annually.
In Brunswick, RoRo volumes rose 2% in April to 64,305 units, while fiscal year-to-date volumes were down 11.8% to 639,574 units. GPA said Brunswick remained the nation’s busiest auto port in 2025, handling 779,000 auto units and more than 53,000 units of heavy machinery.
The GPA board also reappointed Alec Poitevint as chairman, Chris Womack as vice chairman and Ben Tarbutton III as secretary-treasurer.
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