Port of Savannah Reports 18% June TEU Growth to 483,684

SAVANNAH, US – The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled 483,684 TEUs at the Port of Savannah in June, an 18% increase over the same month in 2025. The authority closed fiscal-year 2026 with 5.67 million TEUs moved at Savannah, roughly 30,000 TEUs below the 5.7 million recorded in FY2025. GPA’s Appalachian Regional Port delivered a record 49,319 intermodal containers for the year, up at least 20% from FY2025.

What Is the Full Scope of This Development?

The fiscal-year results span three GPA terminals, with container volumes at Savannah holding near record levels despite a slight full-year dip. The Mason Mega Rail facility moved 541,405 containers by rail in FY26, the third consecutive year above half a million, giving rail a 17% share of Savannah’s total container trade. At the Port of Brunswick, roll-on/roll-off cargo reached 763,122 units in FY26, down 12.4% from FY25, with June volume of 58,599 units also down 12.4% year-on-year.

Key Development Data

How Does This Compare to Industry Trends?

The FY26 rail figures confirm a sustained intermodal growth corridor in the US Southeast, running parallel to global rail freight expansion. Future Market Insights valued the global rail freight market at USD 370.0 billion in 2025, with a projected 4.5% CAGR to USD 602.7 billion by 2036 (Source: Future Market Insights, 2025). At operator level, Finland’s VR Group increased EBIT by 53% to €129.8 million in 2025, reinforcing that rail-based logistics networks are capturing share across markets (Source: VR Group, 2025). Savannah’s 17% rail modal share, however, trails the Port of Virginia’s approximate 40% penetration, indicating headroom for the Mason Mega Rail facility’s growth (Source: Port of Virginia, 2024). Comparable fiscal-year rail modal share data from other US East Coast container gateways was not available at time of publication.

Editor’s Analysis

The mixed FY26 results indicate GPA is managing divergent freight cycles: container demand at Savannah remains near record levels, while Brunswick’s RoRo sector is contracting at double-digit rates. The 20% jump at the Appalachian Regional Port suggests inland rail is becoming a competitive weapon for discretionary container flows — a strategy also visible in VR Group’s record 16.1 million long-distance journeys in Finland as rail operators pivot toward higher-value segments (Source: VR Group, 2025). If the June 18% surge persists into FY2027, Savannah is positioned to surpass the 5.7 million TEU mark it narrowly missed.

FAQ

Q: How does Savannah’s 5.67 million TEUs rank among US container ports?
A: Savannah ranks as the third-busiest US container gateway, behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey. Its June 2026 growth rate of 18% outpaced most major US ports in the same month.

Q: Why did Brunswick RoRo volumes fall 12.4% in FY26?
A: GPA cited sector challenges, which typically include automaker production shifts and roll-on/roll-off vessel capacity constraints. June volumes dropped 12.4% year-on-year to 58,599 units.

Q: What is the Mason Mega Rail facility’s expansion potential?
A: The facility moved 541,405 containers in FY26, but Savannah’s 17% rail modal share lags the Port of Virginia’s roughly 40% figure. GPA can raise rail volumes without exceeding existing terminal capacity if freight demand holds.