Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) saw a significant increase in volume in August as customers front-loaded cargo before the holiday peak season.

Georgia Ports handled 74,630 units of Ro/Ro cargo in August, an increase of 21.4% or 13,175 units compared to the same month a year ago.

 [Source: Georgia Ports Authority]

In the container business, the Port of Savannah handled more than 490,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 18.6% of 76,750 TEUs.

"It was GPA's second busiest August on record, after only 2022 when pandemic-related demand sent August volumes over 575,000 TEUs," the port authority said in the announcement.

Georgia Ports Authority president and CEO Griff Lynch noted that August's volume increase was influenced by "customers front-loading cargo ahead of the holiday peak season."

GPA to add capacity in Brunswick

Meanwhile, GPA also announced infrastructure improvements in Brunswick.

The Port of Brunswick will soon add 50 more acres of paved vehicle storage at Colonel's Island Terminal.

"The combination of space to grow, global and domestic reach, and quality of service make the Port of Brunswick the nation's premier gateway for Ro/Ro trade," Lynch said.

"With the significant infrastructure investments we’re making at the nation's largest auto port, GPA is prepared to handle future growth from new and existing customers. This move comes in response to requests from auto manufacturers seeking to expand their cargo volumes through Georgia," he added.

The Port of Brunswick is adding another 50 acres of paved storage at Colonel's Island Terminal. The expanded auto-processing capacity will go online in the summer of 2025 and follows the recent addition of more than 120 acres.

GPA Board chairman Kent Fountain noted that capacity enhancements will complement the US$262 million in auto storage and warehousing recently added at Colonel's Island.

"With more than 200 additional acres for expansion, no other Roll-on/Roll-off port in the nation has the ability to scale up its operation like Brunswick," he added.

Colonel's Island Terminal handled more than 870,000 units of Ro/Ro cargo in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended in June.