The Georgia Ports Authority is on track for a record year in roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) cargo, saying last week that it had handled 77,236 units in March, an increase of 13,438 units or 21% over the same month last year.
The increase came the same month that another major east coast Ro/Ro port shut down, following the March 26 collision between a containership and the Francis Scott Key bridge at the Port of Baltimore. However, while that port remains closed to vehicle imports to this day while repairs continue, its closure probably had minimal effect on Georgia’s pace since event occurred at the very end of the month.
Twenty-three carmakers and 17 heavy machinery producers use the Port of Brunswick, which handled approximately 723,515 Ro/Ro units last fiscal year.
From July 2023 through March 2024, GPA has moved 628,937 total units of Ro/Ro cargo, an increase of 88,200 or 16 percent. The monthly average is 69,882 units, meaning Georgia Ports could handle an all-time record of 800,000 units by the end of its fiscal year in June.
“March was the busiest month ever for Ro/Ro cargo in Brunswick, with organic growth and new customers driving increases in both autos and high and heavy equipment,” Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch said in a release. “Import and export trade has increased as auto makers expanded production and Colonel’s Island processors have captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region.”
