Containerized trade through the Port of Savannah grew 16.2% to 331,468 TEUs in January, a record month for tonnage, and another sign of strengthening box growth in the new year at U.S. ports.
The Georgia Ports Authority said loaded containers totaled approximately 268,000 TEUs, also a record. That fueled a 22.1% increase in total container tonnage at Savannah of 465,710 tons, to 2.57 million tons in January.
Total tonnage through Georgia ports increased 26%.
Ports Executive Director Griff Lynch in a statement credited supply chain efficiencies for the record, as cargo was up 623,504 tons from January 2016.
At the Port of Brunswick, bulk cargo more than doubled to 235,802 tons in January, up 125,998 tons. Breakbulk cargo through Ocean Terminal in Savannah and at the Mayor's Point and Colonel's Island terminals in Brunswick grew by 17.7% to 211,575 tons, an increase of 31,796 tons.
Roll-on/Roll-off gained 7%, to 52,778 units of cars, trucks and tractors, up 3,389 vehicles
Other U.S. ports reported healthy gains in container traffic in January, including the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.