Savannah Posts Second-Busiest Year Ever as Georgia Ports Outpace U.S. Growth

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in fiscal year 2025, marking an 8.6 percent increase from the previous year.

The performance represents the Port of Savannah’s second busiest year on record, falling just short of the 5.76 million TEUs handled during the pandemic year of FY2022.

The strong results come as Georgia ports continues to outpace national growth. The GPA noted that Savannah’s volume grew at a 4.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for fiscal year-to-date 2025 compared to FYTD2016, while the entire U.S. container port market experienced a 2.7% CAGR during the same period.

“Georgia Ports continues to grow U.S. East Coast market share and with the shifting trade patterns in Asia and India, that bodes well for our future,” said Griff Lynch, President and CEO of Georgia Ports.

The Port of Savannah moved 410,400 TEUs in June alone, with GPA averaging more than 475,000 TEUs per month in the fiscal year just ended. The months of March, April, and May each exceeded 500,000 TEUs.

Meanwhile, the Port of Brunswick handled 870,775 units of autos and heavy equipment in FY2025, matching the all-time record set in FY2024. To accommodate growing demand, GPA will begin construction this fiscal year on the new $100 million Colonels Island Berth 4, scheduled to open in 2027.

The GPA is doubling down on infrastructure development, having completed $3.2 billion in port infrastructure projects over the past decade. Looking ahead, the authority plans to invest another $4.5 billion in capacity improvements over the next ten years, which will add five big ship berths – the largest such expansion of any U.S. port.

“I would like to express my appreciation to our customers, our GPA employees, the ILA, our partners at Gateway Terminals and the Georgia State Legislature for their contributions and support in delivering another successful year for Georgia Ports Authority,” said newly elected GPA Board Chairman Alec Poitevint.

In FY2025, GPA completed $470 million in projects, including Roll-on/Roll-off expansion at Brunswick, modifications to Garden City Terminal’s Warehouse 83B, and the addition of eight new ship-to-shore cranes – the largest on the U.S. East Coast.

Now in their 80th year of operation, Georgia’s ports and inland terminals support more than 609,000 jobs throughout the state annually, contributing $40 billion in income, $171 billion in revenue, and $5.3 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

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