Port Moves 3.6 Million Containers In FY 2015
According to data released by the Georgia Port Authority on Monday, the ports of Savannah and Brunswick saw record cargo movements in fiscal year 2015. The AP reported that the ports of Savannah and Brunswick handed 31.69 million tons of cargo for the year ending June 30, or 3.66 million shipping containers, with containerized imports and exports rising 17% from FY 2014. Imports composed 54% of the year’s business, while exports made up the other 46%. The Georgia Ports Authority saw its highest annual revenue of more than $356 million. Ports authority executive director Curtis Foltz said, “It was a pretty amazing year for us.” The state’s ports saw a record year in part due to “a labor dispute that was blamed for slowdowns at West Coast ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach.” That delay prompted shippers to send cargoes to East Coast ports to skirt shipping delays, and the Port of Savannah could handle the extra shipments “more efficiently than most” other ports, the AP noted. Foltz said the Savannah port should “see some permanent gains” from the West Coast shipping delays, but that some accounts “will revert a portion of their business back to the West Coast. We just don’t know how much and we don’t know when.”
What This Means For Small Businesses
News that Georgia’s ports are doing record business and more efficiently handling shipments than other ports is a positive for small business owners in Atlanta and across the state, who will benefit from close proximity to one of the most efficient ports in the US.
Additional Reading
NFIB previously noted the labor issues still dampening business at West Coast ports. NFIB also reported on the US Senate’s debate of the Ports Performance Act, which would monitor ports to more effectively prevent shipping disruptions.
Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.
