Savannah will tackle congestion
Record cargo flows are fine, congestion is bad. Following months of a continuous backlog of containerships waiting for berth space, the Port of Savannah is projecting that moderating demand will finally permit the port to clear the congestion before the end of 2022. Contributing to the congestion was an increase of 10% in container volumes over the past three months.
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) executive director Griff Lynch: "A high number of ad hoc vessel calls, the addition of three new Mediterranean services, and one new service to Asia contributed to the growth. Additionally, our regular services have been arriving with significantly more cargo destined for Savannah."
The Port of Savannah handled 776,000 teu of loaded and empty exports between July and September, while import trade totalled 767,000 teu. Loaded containers represented 70% of the total container trade.
During the three months, the Georgia Ports Authority handled a total of more than 1.5 million teu. The port is now taking measures to clear the backlog till the end of the year. (sh)