The Georgia Ports Authority achieved its second busiest year ever in 2025, handling nearly 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent container units of cargo, an increase of 2.6 percent or 146,000 TEUs compared to 2024.
Last year’s performance was second only to 2022, when approximately 5.9 million TEUs crossed the Port of Savannah’s docks, GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch reported to the Authority’s board on January 27th.
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“The Ports of Savannah and Brunswick have been critical to Georgia’s ability to attract new jobs and investment, connecting manufacturers with markets around the world,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “This new highwater mark is just the latest reminder that these economic engines remain essential to our status as the No. 1 state for business, and I want to thank the hardworking longshoremen and the great team at the Georgia Ports Authority for making this possible.”
“Georgia Ports has a long history of providing world-class service to our customers and will continue to invest in our people and infrastructure, doing our part in making Georgia the best place to do business,” said GPA Board Chairman, Alec Poitevint.
“I would like to thank our customers, GPA Team, Gateway Terminals, ILA and our Trucking and Rail Partners that all play a central role in making the Savannah experience successful every day,” Lynch said. “We are well positioned to help our customers navigate the challenging market conditions ahead.”
Georgia Ports leads the industry in speed to rail and closed out the year with containers moving from vessel to train in only 22 hours, improving from 28 hours at the start of the year. The on-port Mason Mega Rail Terminal handles 42 double-stack trains per week to destinations such as Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, Charlotte and Orlando. Georgia Ports’ Appalachian Regional Port in Chatsworth, Ga. also delivered record volumes of 45,700 containers in 2025, a record 19 pct increase from the year before. The Blue Ridge Connector, a new Inland Terminal, will open mid-2026 in Gainesville, Ga serving the Northeastern Georgia manufacturing centre.
In 2025, the Port of Savannah handled a record 545,214 containers by rail, the fifth straight year over half a million.
The Port of Savannah also handled 14,000-16,000 truck moves daily, Monday through Friday. In 2025, dual moves – in which a driver delivers an export and picks up an import – took an average of only 50 minutes on terminal. Single moves averaged 32 minutes.
Georgia Ports is in the midst of a self-financed, USD 4.5bn port and inland infrastructure plan which will add five new container berths in Savannah, the most new berths of any US port and one new RoRo berth in Brunswick.
Georgia Ports served 1,669 container ships in 2025, moving an average of 1,878 containers on and off each vessel. Savannah offers 39 weekly container services to global destinations, the most of any port on the South Atlantic or Gulf Coasts.
The Port of Savannah ended the year with December container volumes of 439,630 TEUs, a decrease of 0.6 percent or 2,510 TEUs compared to the same month last year.
Roll-on/Roll-off cargo in the Port of Brunswick faced headwinds in 2025
In Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, the Port of Brunswick handled 74,344 units of autos and heavy equipment in December, an increase of 5,659 RoRo units or 8.2 percent. Heavy equipment accounted for 2,715 units of the total volume.
For calendar year 2025, Brunswick handled 832,194 units of autos and heavy equipment, down approximately 68,200 units or 7.5 percent compared to the previous year. Heavy equipment alone accounted for 51,677 units of the total volume in 2025.
The global trade in autos and heavy equipment faced several headwinds last year. Manufacturers reduced production and shipment of some vehicles to the US, while evaluating global manufacturing location changes and target markets. During the summer, auto manufacturers paused shipments from factories temporarily closed in Mexico, Europe and Asia. Luxury vehicle exports to China decreased, in part because auto manufacturers faced stiff competition from domestic Chinese producers.