Savannah Containers records highest fiscal year earnings since the onset of the pandemic
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is strengthening its position on the U.S. East Coast container market, recording its second-busiest year on record in FY2025 with a volume of 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This marks an impressive 8.6% increase over the previous year.
Over the past several years, GPA’s container volume has expanded at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%, significantly outpacing the overall U.S. container port market CAGR of 2.7% for the same period. This sustained growth is a testament to increased trade and shifting patterns favouring the Port of Savannah, GPA’s primary container hub.
In June 2025 alone, Savannah moved 410,400 TEUs, highlighting the port's ability to handle high volumes. The port also recorded several months with over 500,000 TEUs in 2025, further underscoring its growth.
Infrastructure investments have played a crucial role in GPA’s growth. The authority has completed $3.2 billion in infrastructure projects over the past decade and plans to invest another $4.5 billion over the next ten years. This investment includes the addition of eight new ship-to-shore cranes, the largest on the U.S. East Coast, in Savannah.
The Port of Savannah is also undergoing significant expansion and modernization, with the Garden City Terminal Warehouse being expanded to streamline Customs inspections by doubling warehouse space and expanding refrigerated cargo capabilities. The Ocean Terminal Redevelopment project will add annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs and a highway overpass to Route 17, designed to keep terminal truck traffic from impacting local neighbourhoods.
Meanwhile, the Port of Brunswick is also expanding its ro-ro capabilities and rail capacity. The Port of Brunswick ro-ro hub handled 870,775 units of autos and heavy equipment in FY2025. The Colonels Island Southside Rail Phase 1 project is underway, aiming to double rail capacity from five to 10 trains per week and increase the port's annual rail capacity for autos from 150,000 to more than 340,000. The authority will start construction on the new $100 million Colonels Island Berth 4 in the current fiscal year.
With these expansions and modernizations, the Georgia Ports Authority is well-positioned to continue its growth and capture an even larger share of the U.S. East Coast container market.
[1] Georgia Ports Authority. (2025). Annual Report 2025. Retrieved from https://www.gaports.com/annual-report/ [2] Georgia Ports Authority. (2025). Newsroom. Retrieved from https://www.gaports.com/newsroom/ [3] Georgia Ports Authority. (2025). Expansion Projects. Retrieved from https://www.gaports.com/expansion-projects/ [4] Georgia Ports Authority. (2025). Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Retrieved from https://www.gaports.com/budget/ [5] Georgia Ports Authority. (2025). Performance Data. Retrieved from https://www.gaports.com/performance-data/
- Despite the growth in container volumes, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) seems to have an eye for expanding beyond containerships, as evidenced by their plans to add ro-ro capabilities and rail capacity at the Port of Brunswick.
- With the ongoing expansions and modernization projects, such as the addition of new ship-to-shore cranes and the Ocean Terminal Redevelopment project, it seems that sports, such as vehicular transportation and logistics, might not be the only areas of competitiveness for the GPA in the near future.
