Savannah H1 container volumes down 7% on year as pandemic hits demand

Container throughput at the Port of Savannah, Georgia, in the first half of 2020 was down 7.1% year on year as consumer demand remained suppressed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Total import and export volumes were 2.09 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in January-June compared with 2.25 million TEUs in the year-ago period.

Although total throughput recorded last month at 338,917 TEUs was a slight 0.5% uptick from May, it was still 6.4% below levels from June 2019.

But the Georgia Port Authority (GPA) intends to lean into Savannah's status as the fourth largest container port in the US and top exporter of containerized agricultural goods by continually expanding capacity.

The port is working to nearly double its container rail lift capacity to 1 million TEUs/year by the end of 2021, while a new container yard and 20 new gantry cranes will be in service by December.

"What sets Savannah apart from the competition is the sheer capacity of the port's ever-expanding footprint," said GPA board chairman Will McKnight. "We have nearly unlimited potential and capacity to grow our business."