Port of Savannah has strong April

Atlanta Business Chronicle:

The Port of Savannah continued to boom in April, a beneficiary of the recovering global economy.

The Georgia Ports Authority said the port had its second highest monthly volume ever in April with 260,035 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) -- 8.5 percent higher than April 2010.

“Savannah’s surprisingly strong container volume for April reflects continued overall demand tied with the global economic recovery,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz, in a statement. “Export volume growth remained robust due to increased demand for semi-finished/raw materials and grain-based commodities, as well as a competitive U.S. dollar.”

The Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal handled 111,685 tons during April -- up 40.3 percent and due to the global demand for iron/steel, lumber and machinery.

Overall break-bulk tonnage for April totaled 207,103 tons -- a 29.3 percent increase.

Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 38,010 auto and machinery units in April -- up 12.4 percent.