Savannah Records 7.7% Growth in Exports During July

The Georgia Ports Authority reported that exports totaled nearly 115,000 TEUs, up 7.7%, or more than 8,200 TEUs, compared to July 2025. Imports reached 251,888 TEUs, an increase of 5%, or 12,300 TEUs.

The port handled 503,739 TEUs in July, starting its fiscal year with an increase of 27,051 TEUs, or 5.7% compared to the same month last year.

“We are pleased to start fiscal year 2027 with positive results for both import and export cargo. Our August shipping volumes also look strong,” said Griff Lynch, executive director of Georgia Ports.

In July, the Port of Savannah managed nearly 15,000 daily truck movements, including imports and exports. The average loading and unloading time was 31 minutes for a single container and 51 minutes for two containers. Nearly 80% of transactions at the Garden City terminal involve two containers, which improves the experience for truckers, profitability, and supply chain speed.

“We want to acknowledge the important role our trucking community plays in the daily success of our port. Our supply chain connectivity and the quick turnaround of our truckers represent a constant competitive advantage for our customers. We are focused on the efficiency of our truck gates to ensure that drivers' visits to the port are seamless,” stated Kevin Price, president of GPA.

Price stated that truckers gained a faster route to the Port of Savannah on July 15, when the Georgia Department of Transportation opened the Brampton Road Connector. This four-lane highway, costing $126 million, connects Gate 3 of the Garden City Terminal directly to the Interstate 16 corridor.

The Appalachian Regional Port (ARP), GPA's rail-connected inland port in Crandall, Georgia, continued its trade boom, handling an all-time record of 4,800 containers in July, up 41%, or nearly 1,400 containers, compared to July 2025. The growth is due to the arrival of new customers and increased business activity from existing users. The ARP closed fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026) with a record annual volume of 49,319 containers, more than 8,100 or nearly 20% more than in the previous 12 months.

GPA's Gainesville Inland Port, a $134 million investment, opened its doors in May. Customers are visiting the facility and planning their connection opportunities.

In July, Savannah's Mason Mega Rail Terminal recorded 44,981 containers, an increase of 775 (2%) compared to July 2025. Savannah leads the industry in rail transit speed, unloading import containers from vessels and moving them by rail in an average of 20 hours.

At the Port of Brunswick, car imports reached 51,704 units, up 5.3% (2,618 units) from the same month last year. Self-propelled machinery saw larger increases, with a 24.4% increase (483 units) in total import and export volume, reaching 2,465. Total car trade reached 61,756 units during the month, down 4.5% (2,920 units), due to lower vehicle exports. The combined volume of cars and heavy machinery reached 67,881 units, down 1.6% (1,111 units) from July 2025.