NEWS

Georgia Ports Authority has recorded its busiest April for container trade, moving 515,500 TEUs. The Port of Savannah saw a 17 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase, up 74,500 TEUs. Mason Mega Rail handled over 50,000 intermodal lifts, an 8 per cent rise from April 2024, signaling a shift back to East and Gulf Coast ports. The Appalachian Regional Port set a record with 4,241 lifts, up 49 per cent.

April cargo volumes for Georgia's ports were a mixed bag as various impacts from tariffs influence global trade.

Container volume at the Port of Savannah came in at an April record of 515,500 twenty-foot-equivalent container units, marking the third consecutive month-specific record for container traffic despite President Donald Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" taking effect during the month. April's container volume marked a 17% increase from last April's totals as some customers continued to frontload cargo to avoid tariff-related disruptions.

World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) hosted its sixth annual Prosperity Through Trade Luncheon Thursday, May 15, in conjunction with World Trade Month.

During the luncheon, WTCSav presented the World Trade Center Savannah International Business of the Year Award to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America’s story began in May 2022 when Hyundai Motor Group entered into an agreement with the State of Georgia and the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the U.S.

The sale in November of a nearly 1 million-square-foot distribution center in Savannah, Georgia, is an example of how proximity to the city’s booming port is drawing interest from large investors.

Goldman Sachs Alternatives, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, bought the 942,210-square-foot Building 9 at 125 Feldspar Drive in Rockingham Farms Logistics Center for $100.6 million. The seller was Indianapolis-based Scannell Properties. The property is an 18-minute drive from the Port of Savannah and 23 minutes from the city’s downtown.

The station will service environmentally friendly heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

HydroFleet, a national specialized hydrogen equipment and hydrogen fuel supplier, has delivered more than 450,000 kgs of ready-to-use, gaseous hydrogen fuel to end user fleets. It is led by a management team with more than 40 years combined experience in the hydrogen industry.

With the Port of Savannah acting as a dominant driver for demand, the Savannah industrial market has thrived in recent years — with more growth on the horizon. We asked JLL brokers Chris Tomasulo, Bennett Rudder and Lindsey Wilmot to share their thoughts on what’s happening in the Savannah industrial market today and where it’s headed in the next 10 years.