The Port of Savannah handled 450,000 TEU in July, an increase of 25 per cent, while auto and machinery units in Brunswick grew to 61,470, up 39 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to a GPA statement.

Savannah's Garden City's Terminal, which added nearly 900,000 TEU in FY2021, has now achieved container trade records in nine of the past 10 months. In Brunswick, four out of the top 10 months for ro/ro trade have occurred since October 2020.

"Consumer demand and the addition of extra loader vessels is driving a prolonged surge in volumes," said GPA executive director Griff Lynch.

The port authority has expedited projects to add space for another 1.4 million TEU annually. Its Peak Capacity project will add 700,000 TEU in two phases, the first of which opens this fall.

In March 2022, a 25-acre parcel along Ga 21 will open operation as a support services site for Garden City Terminal, increasing on-terminal chassis storage. In 2023, GPA will commission another 92 acres, adding 750,000 TEU of annual capacity.

"We're expecting continued elevated demand in both Brunswick and Savannah through at least the end of 2021," said GPA board chairman Joel Wooten. "To accommodate growing business, the board approved last month US$525 million in bonds to fund our berth and container yard enhancements."