In January 2023, the Port of Savannah experienced a decline of 11.5 percent in container handling compared to the same month in the previous year. This was due to reduced orders in retail and manufacturing, resulting in a 16 percent decrease in import loads and a decline in the export of empty containers to Asia.
Weather delays also played a role in reducing container handling. However, loaded container exports increased by 21 percent, particularly in export trade lanes to Europe and the Mediterranean. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is taking advantage of the reduction in traffic to make progress on infrastructure projects that will be necessary when demand returns.
The GPA remains committed to infrastructure improvement, even during down times, to support the growth of its customers in Georgia. At the Port of Brunswick, trade in autos and heavy machinery increased 9 percent in January and is up 16.7 percent for the fiscal year to date, with over 411,000 Roll-on/Roll-off units.