The Georgia Ports Authority is preparing for the season's first arrivals of citrus from South Africa, South America, and other markets.
"This year, we will be serving a broader portfolio of citrus customers and cold chain shippers. We've added new vessel services to citrus markets, and we have a new $4.5 million temperature-controlled, CBP inspection site opening in June, which is on our Garden City Terminal for ease of use," said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch.
Imports from South Africa, Chile, and Peru are expected to start arriving at the Port of Savannah in May and June, coinciding with the completion of the new chilled cargo inspection facility.
© The Georgia Ports Authority
Chilled cargo infrastructure expanding
U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations at the Port of Savannah are expanding to include a 4,000 square foot refrigerated space for chilled cargo inspections. This is part of a new 300,000 square foot facility on Garden City Terminal, doubling the size of CBP's previous location.
Opened in February, the $44 million facility is being expanded to support temperature-controlled cargo requiring inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The new temperature-controlled section provides importers with the option to have chilled cargo inspected either on-port or off-dock at refrigerated warehouses. A dozen Savannah-area businesses operate nearly 2.4 million square feet of refrigerated warehousing, including 1.64 million square feet for frozen cargo and over 752,000 square feet of chilled space.
New ocean carrier services
In addition to new customers, Georgia Ports is hosting a new service from MSC, linking West and South Africa to Savannah with a transit time of 26 days.
In January, Seaboard Marine restored direct weekly container service to Savannah, strengthening connections between the U.S. Southeast, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The first northbound vessel arrived on January 7 from Colombia, with stops in Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Rio Haina in the Dominican Republic.
The service offers Wednesday arrivals and departures in Savannah, improved access to Colombian and Caribbean markets, and connections to West Coast South America via transshipment. Georgia Ports officials say this expands cold chain opportunities for customers.
Savannah currently offers 39 ocean carrier services, providing direct connections to global markets.
"As we increase our suite of cold chain services, we are seeing steady growth, with more fresh produce customers viewing Savannah as an attractive U.S. gateway with multiple options," said Flavio Batista, Chief Commercial Officer.
The import trade supports the movement of Georgia agricultural exports by ensuring a steady supply of refrigerated containers. The Georgia Ports Authority leads the nation in frozen poultry exports, handling nearly 40 per cent annually.
The Port of Savannah features approximately 3,600 powered slots for refrigerated containers on the terminal.
For more information:
Edward Fulford
The Georgia Ports Authority
Tel: +1 912 964 3806
Email: [email protected]
www.gaports.com
