b'22American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comGEORGIA PORTS 2026 Port of Brunswick increases capacity and improves operational efficiency By Debra Phillips, AJOTThe Port of Brunswick, theare eventually expected to serve busiestRoll-On/Roll-Off(Ro/ the US East Coast.Ro) port on the East Coast, isGPAPresidentandCEO investingininfrastructuretoGriffLynchviewsthedredging drive efficiency and add capac- effortaspositivenewsforcus-ity to prepare for future growth.tomerswhorelyonthePortof ThePortcurrentlyhandlesanBrunswick to serve the Southeast average of 55 Ro/Ro vessel callsmarket. Deeper water will mean permonth.TheRo/Rofreightincreased vessel transit efficiency, transportmarketrepresentsahe said. Greater depth also allows Seaboard Marine has resumed direct weekly calls in the Port of Savannah. (Georgia Ports) critical segment of global mar- vessels loaded with more cargo to itime logistics.transit the channel without waiting Georgias foreign trade is boomingThisspecializedshippingfor high tide, according to a rep-methodenablesvehicles,trail- resentative of the Brunswick Bar ers,andotherrollingstocktoPilots Association.and the ports with it bedrivendirectlyontovessels,C orPS ofe ngineerSP rojeCteliminating the need for complex Georgia breaks past global trade records, enhancing service andloadingequipmentandsignifi- A separate Brunswick Harbor cantlyreducinghandlingtime.improvementprojectledbythe investing in infrastructure. Operational efficiency is criticalUSArmyCorpsofEngineers forthismarketsector,andthe(USACE) is expected to start later By Debra Phillips, AJOT PortofBrunswickhasseveralthis year. The Corps plan includes projects underway to drive prog- a bend widener and expansion of The state of Georgia has earned a spot in thecontainer trade with Vietnam rose 38%, reachingress in achieving these goals. the turning basin. This is the area Top Ten Exporting States, outpacing the nationalapproximately379,000Twenty-FootEquivalentwheretugboatshelpshipsturn averageforyear-over-yeargrowthintradeandUnits (TEUs) in 2025, driven in part by Vietnamsd redging thei nner and downriver for docking and quick export values. During 2025, Georgia handled $60.2expansion of its manufacturing capabilities, witho uterh arBor departure. Congress has approved billioninexports,ayear-over-yearincreaseofelectronics production increasing. Samsung aloneFederallyfundeddredg- $11.3 million for the federal share 12.7%, surpassing the national average of 5.6%.has invested more than $23 billion in its Vietnam- ingisunderwayatthePortofof the harbor improvement proj-Akeycontributortothestatesleadershipeseplants,whichsupplymorethanhalfoftheBrunswick,withcurrentopera- ects.GeorgiaGov.BrianKemp in global trade is the Port of Savannah, the fast- companysglobalsmartphoneoutput. Accordingtions expected to be completed inand the state legislature have allo-est-growingcontainergatewayontheU.S.Eastto a GPA representative, these factors suggest thatMarch. Additional work is sched- cated just over $6 million to cover Coast,accordingtotheGeorgiaPortAuthorityVietnam will remain one of the fastest-growinguled for the summer. Dredging isthestatesshareoftheproject. (GPA). Compared to last year, container volumesAsian corridors through 2026 and beyond. a normal requirement for harborInadditiontofacilitatingglobal in Savannah are up 12.5%. Recenttradeagreementsarealsoprovidingmaintenance. These changes willtrade, the GPA is also a driver of To continue its growth trajectory, the Port isgreater access to the Vietnamese market for USallowtheporttoservevesselseconomic growth for the state and focused on emerging trade partners, including Viet- ports. In December 2025, it was announced that thewith a capacity of 4,000 to 8,000the source of jobs for residents.nam and India, enhancing service to these coun- US and Vietnam had agreed to reduce reciprocalCEUs(CarEquivalentUnits).P orta dding af ourthtries, providing fast transit times, and continuing totariffs to 20% on imports, with some product cat- AccordingtoaGeorgiaPort build the infrastructure needed to handle increasedegories potentially moving to zero under the newAuthority(GPA)representative,B erth to itSC oLoneLSvolumes and bigger container ships. trade framework. Ongoing US-Vietnam trade talksLarger vessels are now the mosti SLandt erMinaLmay boost exports of agriculture, consumer goodscommon newbuild size, enablingThe major on-terminal project v ietnaMt Wo - Wayt rade Withg eorgiae xPandS and electronics. carriers to move cargo in fewer(CAPACITYcontinued on Over the past five years, the Port of Savannahs(BOOMINGcontinued on page 26) trips. Vessels up to 10,000 CEUspage 28)Your Just-In-Time turnkey facility in Savannah, GA! Trucking / Heavy Haul / OOG Drayage Warehousing / Rail / Import / Export Project Cargo / Crane / [email protected] / 912-201-0050 / 866-522-2200'