Savannah handled a record 504,015 TEUs in September, up 3.7% year over year, as strong imports and a later-than-usual peak season pushed volumes into the month. Loaded imports drove much of the gain, rising 5.5%.

The September result lifted container traffic for the first quarter of the Georgia Ports Authority's fiscal year above 1.5 million TEUUs — an increase of 2.7%, or 40,560 TEUs, against the same period last year. GPA called it the second-strongest fiscal first quarter in its history, trailing only fiscal 2023.

GPA attributed the growth to continued consumer demand and an extended peak shipping season, with typhoon-related delays at Asian ports shifting some cargo into September.

"Thanks to our Georgia Ports employees, Gateway Terminals and the ILA, we are providing world-class service to our customers while handling record volumes," said GPA CEO Griff Lynch.

What does the record mean for shippers?

For importers routing through the US Southeast, the numbers signal capacity that can absorb an elongated peak season without congestion. GPA President Kevin Price said the port's capital program is translating directly into service quality.

"We know our customers have a choice and we're thankful for their choosing Georgia Ports," Price said. "The capital investments we've made are now paying off in service levels for our customers and fluidity for our trucking partners."

That fluidity rests on concrete infrastructure. The $1.6 billion redevelopment of Ocean Terminal is more than 60% complete and is expected to raise the terminal's annual container capacity from roughly 200,000 TEUs to 1.75 million TEUs — a near-ninefold increase on a single facility.

On the landside, the Brampton Road Connector, opened in July, created a third high-volume truck route into Garden City Terminal's Gate 3, bypassing local neighborhood roads and at-grade rail crossings. For trucking partners, that means faster gate turns and fewer choke points as volumes climb.

What is happening at the Panama Canal?

GPA pointed to improving conditions at the Panama Canal as a positive indicator for shipping through the remainder of the year. The Panama Canal Authority plans to restore Neopanamax capacity to a maximum of 10 transits per day beginning Oct. 15, bringing total daily transit capacity across the canal to 33 vessels. The maximum authorized draft for Neopanamax vessels stood at 49 feet as of Sept. 28.

For carriers and forwarders routing Asia–US East Coast cargo via all-water services, the restored slots and draft remove a constraint that had periodically pushed services to Savannah and Charleston toward longer routings or surcharges.

Where did volumes fall?

Not every Georgia gateway shared in the record. The Port of Brunswick handled 43,415 RoRo units in September, down 22% from the same month last year — a sharp contraction in the autos-and-equipment trade.

Heavy machinery was the exception, rising nearly 12% to 3,754 units from 3,359 a year earlier, a signal that construction and agricultural equipment flows remain firm even as vehicle volumes retreat.

How much more capacity is coming?

Georgia Ports is planning nearly $5 billion in investment over the next decade, including:

• Five additional big-ship container berths in Savannah
• A fourth RoRo berth in Brunswick
• Continued completion of the $1.6 billion Ocean Terminal redevelopment, now past the 60% mark

The spending positions Savannah to defend its record volumes against competing East Coast gateways as vessel sizes and all-water deployment increase. With Panama Canal capacity returning to 33 daily transits from mid-October and an extended peak season still delivering cargo, GPA enters the second quarter of its fiscal year with demand, capacity and landside infrastructure all pointed upward.