THE Port of Savannah's container volume jumped four million TEU in 2017, an increase of 11 per cent year on year.
"This is the first time we've handled more than four million TEU in a 12-month period, which is an important milestone for Savannah," said Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) executive director Griff Lynch. "These numbers clearly show that Georgia is the fastest growing and most critical port in the southeast."
In December GPA handled 323,000 TEU, up 10.6 per cent year on year, which made last month the busiest December in GPA's history.
Total trade for 2017 hit a record 35 million tons of cargo, up 12 per cent year on year, said Mr Lynch.
Intermodal business at Garden City Terminal improved by 18.8 per cent in December, with 65,000 TEU moved by rail. The GPA is scheduled to break ground on the Mason Mega Rail terminal in early spring. The project will double Garden City Terminal's rail lift capacity to one million containers per year when it is completed at the end of 2020.
"Savannah is double the size of the next largest port in the region, highlighting Georgia's growing role as a gateway for American cargo," Mr Lynch said. "Similarly, there is no deepening project more significant in the nation at this time than the Savannah harbour expansion project."