Port of Savannah reports record cargo volumes for January

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - The Port of Savannah has added another month to its streak of record cargo volumes amid a surge that's forced U.S. seaports to scramble to meet demand.

The Georgia Ports Authority reported nearly 480,000 container units of imports and exports moved across Savannah's docks last month. That's an increase of 4% compared with January 2021, when cargo volumes were already unusually high.

Business has been booming at U.S. seaports as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, retailers rush to keep their inventories stocked and online shopping continues to grow.

The port authority reported last month that Savannah saw a 20% increase in shipping containers for all of 2021, when it handled a record total of 5.6 million container units.

Port officials said Savannah posted record container numbers for all 12 months of last year.

To alleviate traffic jams last fall that kept ships waiting at sea and containers piling up on land, the port authority added workers and new equipment. The agency also set up inland sites to temporarily store cargo and free up space at Savannah's container terminal.

The Port of the Savannah is the fourth-busiest U.S. seaport for cargo in shipping containers, giant metal boxes used to transport goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens.