Brunswick sets cargo record while Savannah suffers decline

ATLANTA — The Port of Brunswick has had a better year than the Port of Savannah, the Georgia Ports Authority reported Tuesday.

Brunswick handled a record 876,000 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, including autos and heavy machinery, during Fiscal 2024, which ended June 30. That represented a 21% increase over the previous fiscal year.

On the other hand, containerized-cargo volume at the Port of Savannah was down 2.3% in Fiscal 2024. Savannah handled 5.25 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, a decrease of 123,000 compared to Fiscal 2023.

Ports Authority officials attributed growth at the Port of Brunswick to increasing demand from American consumers, growing import-export trade with both Europe and Asia, new car manufacturers choosing Brunswick, and the diversion of cargo to Brunswick after the collapse of a bridge leading into the harbor at Baltimore.

Authority president and CEO Griff Lynch said he remains optimistic despite the downturn in containerized cargo traffic at Savannah. With that in mind, the authority is continuing to expand its operations, recently completing construction of the new Garden City Terminal West facility.

“At Georgia Ports, our philosophy is to continue investing for the future, even during slow periods, so that we are ready for the next up cycle,” authority board Chairman Kent Fountain said. “That’s how we have built one of the most reliable operations in global logistics.”

The Port of Brunswick also is expanding. The ports authority brought online 120 acres of Ro/Ro storage space at Colonel’s Island last year, with another 300 acres available for expansion. Brunswick also has added 640,000 square feet of warehousing and processing space.

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