The Port of Savannah exported more loaded containers than any other port in the country from January through May 2020, achieving a 12.2 percent market share. Garden City Terminal handled a total of 593,195 twenty-foot equivalent container units of loaded exports during the first five months of the calendar year. Situated at the center of a broad logistics network, Savannah offers 37 weekly container ship services reaching destinations around the world, on-terminal service from Class I railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX, and direct access to Interstates 95 and 16.

“With the expansion of the Panama Canal, and the transition of larger vessels to East Coast services, cargo owners are making the strategic decision to keep imports on the water longer,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Subsequently, export customers enjoy greater empty container availability in Savannah, lower container slot costs on Neo-Panamax vessels, and unmatched cargo fluidity through road, rail and terminal services.”

Among Savannah’s top export commodities, the biggest gainers for the period were raw cotton, which grew by 61.0 percent (16,377 TEUs) for a total of 43,234 TEUs, woodpulp, up by 15.8 percent (11,539 TEUs) for a total of 84,595 TEUs, and kaolin clay, up 23.7 percent (7,964 TEUs) for a total of 41,527 TEUs.

The Port of Savannah’s central location in the U.S. Southeast has been able to mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic and provide steady cargo flow without delays and interruptions.

Source: GA Ports