Strong consumer spending and an extended peak season supported high trade volumes at Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) last month, pushing the Port of Savannah to a record September where it moved 504,015 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 3.7% compared to September 2025.
The increase came as peak volumes were pushed into September because of typhoon-related delays at Asian ports, GPA said today. Ocean carriers took advantage of Savannah’s fluid operations and proximity to major retail distribution centers in September, as import loads led Savannah’s volume growth, increasing by 5.5% compared to September 2025.
Overall, GPA’s September performance brings the first quarter of its fiscal year to more than 1.5 million TEUs, up 40,560 TEUs or 2.7%. That represents the second-best quarter in the company’s history, trailing only fiscal year 2023 Q1.
Volumes were also helped by improving conditions in the Panama Canal, GPA said. With the start of the rainy season, the Panama Canal Authority has reported improving conditions at Lake Gatun. In response, the Canal Authority on October 15 will return to the maximum number of 10 Neopanamax vessel transits per day, bringing total daily transits for all vessel sizes to 33.
Likewise, as of September 28, the canal’s maximum draft for Neopanamax vessels was 49 feet, marking an improvement from previous depth restrictions to just 48 feet on August 26.
