Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Sep 13, 2012 10:02AM EDT
The volume of containers handled by the Port of Savannah in August jumped 13.8 percent year-over-year to 270,610 20-foot-equivalent units, the port’s second-highest monthly TEU count.
Only October 2010 throughput surpassed last month’s TEU volume, which was 32,819 TEUs higher year-over-year. TEU volume grew 7.3 percent sequentially, up 18,480 TEUs from July.
For the fiscal year ending June 2013, the year-to-date throughput is up 4.4 percent year-over-year to 522,740 TEUs.
That the Georgia Ports Authority’s volume is growing in spite of a relatively flat economy is a reflection “of the level of efficiency and service our customers receive, which helps Georgia’s deep-water ports maintain existing business and expand our market share,” GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz said.
In tonnage terms, Savannah handled more than 2 million tons of cargo in August, an increase of 10.4 percent year-over-year in total tonnage, or 197,720 tons.
Growth was led by a 9 percent year-over-year increase in container tonnage at the Garden City Terminal, and a 47.3 percent year-over-year increase in breakbulk freight at Savannah’s Ocean Terminal.
For the fiscal year to date, tonnage at Port of Savannah terminals totaled 4.14 million, up 3.7 percent.
Besides containerized cargo, the GPA’s bulk and breakbulk business also grew. At the Port of Brunswick’s East River docks, bulk cargo increased from 49,402 tons in August 2011 to 80,176 in August this year, an increase of 62.3 percent. Year-over-year, East River moved 7.8 percent more cargo to reach 101,738 tons.
At Colonel’s Island in Brunswick, breakbulk cargo jumped 46.2 percent on the month to 108,585 tons. For the fiscal year to date, the rate of growth is 35 percent at 209,477 tons. Breakbulk at Brunswick’s Mayor’s Point nearly doubled to 10,380 tons.
Automobile and machinery units moved through Colonel’s Island and Ocean Terminal increased 45.7 percent on the month, totaling 57,113 units. August was the second-highest month for roll-on, roll-off units at the GPA, with the high mark set in April 2012.
“Heavy machinery customers such as JCB, Caterpillar and John Deere are experiencing healthy demand in markets such as Australia and the Middle East, while the more than 20 automakers who use GPA services are doing brisk business in Europe,” Foltz said.
For the fiscal year, ro-ro units increased 36.2 percent, reaching 111,726 units. Brunswick processed 98 percent of the GPA’s roll-on, roll-off cargo for August.
Total vessel calls reached 259 in August, 36 more than in August 2011. The GPA set August records in total trucking gate moves (179,905) and in containers moved by rail (29,364).
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.