The Jubilee of the Georgia Häfen emphasizes 80 years of growth and connecting at Georgia International Trade Conference

The Georgia Ports Authority organized its 56^TH Annual Georgia International Trade Conference, who brings over 400 customers, business partners and industry leaders to discuss the latest maritime and logistical developments.

President and CEO Handle lynch Presented the timeline of the development of GPA over 80 years, in which the growth of the container nervolumen has been recorded by 784% to 5.6 million TEU since 1995 and how the new lay downturn option at the Ocean Terminal in the port of Savannah will be a distinction. Next month, the new lay square of 1650 'laypersons enables the ships to enter the port and to drive together with the Garden City Terminal during heavy traffic times.

“Two years ago, we started a program to increase the future more containers by transforming the ocean terminal from a three small ship lounger for containers, Roro and Bulk freight into a two large ship container,” explained Lynch. Ships that carry Roro and Bulk Cargo have moved to the port of Brunswick for 90 minutes, so that the port of Savannah is now becoming a 100% container system. “We knew that there could be some growing pain, but we are now turned around the corner and our operations will return to their full potential, since the ocean terminal will continue to offer more capacities in phases,” said Lynch.

GPA financed the 1.6 billion USD capital improvement project from Ocean Terminal by issuing bonds that use the favorable conditions in 2020 to 2022. GPA enjoys the highest bond evaluation of every southeastern port, which reflects the trust of the financial markets in the future and growth strategy of the GPA. “The ocean terminal plays a strategic role in our future vision,” said GPA chairman Kent Brunnen. “We are pleased to see the engineering and construction step, especially the lay lies' skills that will come online next month.”

The potential effects of proposed tariffs were also discussed at the conference. GPA discusses with customers to deal with changed market conditions and the use of Garden City Terminal West in the port of Savannah as a strategic on-terminal location for customers who want to connect the speed of the supply chain to market conditions. The 100-morning system of $ 200 million was opened in 2024 to add storage space for 20,000 containers. In the port of Brunswick, 215 hectares of new properties were added to terminal land packages and storage locations as well as sufficient space for additional future storage requirements.

Lynch has also updated the audience about how the port of Savannah treated the backlogs with the ships. Ship operations have now overcome challenges caused by weather events, including an unusual Savannah snow storm at the end of January, paired with river closures due to fog in February. The ongoing improvements at the Ocean Terminal in Savannah made it possible to free the place in the Garden City Terminal, which led to two weekly services returning to the Ocean Terminal, which brings the total number of ship calls per week at the Ocean Terminal.

The port of Savannah was the fastest growing harbor in the USA and golf coasts in 2024 with a throughput of 5.6 million TEU. This year, February and March, GPA experienced record volume in Savannah. Savannah achieves an average of 32-33 ships a week and generates 42 double stacking trains per week in the domestic markets, with the best rail refusal times in the port and on average only 22 hours in March 2025.

“Customers bring new shops to Georgia due to our first -class service, facilities and speed in the port,” said Lynch. Garden City Terminal takes over 14,000 to 16,000 truck gate per day. Drivers who move a single container can be at the harbor with an average of 35 minutes. The dual export import truck moves only takes an average of 57 minutes. The garden-city terminal goals are open by 1800 hours, so that many truckers 6-8 visits to the port per day can carry out for truck imports and exports to local sales centers, which represents a financial difference in stock and the speed of the supply chain.

Other trends discussed were the acceleration of the source shift in overseasuries, which included an example of how GPA is unique and qualified in order to take into account the growth of commercial growth between India and the US India on Savannah-Transits, which are 10-14 days faster via the Suez Canal, and 3-5 days over the Cape of Good Hope as India. Other trends mentioned were the US population change south, with Georgia being one of the rapidly growing states and the processing of business in the southeast of the United States, where Georgia is a pacemaker.

Lynch has also shown how GPA is well positioned for the future, with the current container end capacity of 5.6 million TEU in Savannah in 2030 and 9 million TEU in 2035 to 7.5 million TEU. Specific highlights are:

Savannah: Garden City Terminal

Ship

• 2025: 7 container berths
• 2030+: 12 container lying places (100% increase)

Garden capacity

• 2025: 105,000 containers in 2025
• 2030+: 190,000 (80% increase)

Truck lanes

• 2025: 53
• 2030+: 100 lanes (72% increase)

Ondock rail

• 2025: 10x 10,000 'trains
• 2030+: 15 x 10,000 'trains (50% increase)

Improvements of the Savannah Hair: deepening by 5 'and creation of passing zones for ships.

Talmadge Bridge (over the Savannah River): Increasing the height above the main channel. A partnership with Georgia Dept. of transportation, final date 2029.

Savannah: Sea creation capacity

• 2025: 1 layperson berth and serves 1.5 large ships per week (15% increase)
• 2026: 2 laypersons berths and serves 3 large ships per week (30% increase)
• 2027: 1 layperson berth, 1 work berth, 4.5 large ships per week (45% increase)
• 2028: 2 Work on berths that serve 6 large ships a week (60% increase)

Savannah Container Terminal

• 2030+: 3 large ship length

Brunswick: Colonel's Island

• 2027: The fourth berth is opened for Roro ships.
• 2030: Rail extension to 600,000 units per year.