Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, speaks at the 2023 Georgia Foreign Trade Conference on June 12, 2023. Lynch said the growing population of the U.S. Southeast and the shift in global sourcing toward Southeast Asia will drive growth in container trade through the Port of Savannah. (Georgia Ports Authority)
Domestic and international factors are lining up for the Port of Savannah to set the pace for growth in the nation’s global container trade.
That was the message of Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch Monday to the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference, held on Sea Island. He cited trends in U.S. demographics and manufacturing, as well as changes in global sourcing that will steer cargo toward Savannah.
“The population of the U.S. Southeast is growing faster than any other region of the country, and manufacturers are flocking to the area’s business-friendly states,” Lynch said. “Overseas, production is shifting to locations such as India and Vietnam that favor delivery via Savannah.”
Domestic market
From 2020 to 2022, the population of the U.S. South increased by 2.3 million people, according to U.S. Census data. Comparatively, the population of the Western U.S. grew by only 92,000.
“As the nation’s fastest-growing region, the South is seeing increased consumer demand, which translates into higher port volumes,” Lynch said. “The area has also seen strong growth in manufacturing, including the recent announcement of the Hyundai Metaplant. The carmaker is poised to establish a whole new ecosystem of auto manufacturing and ancillary suppliers moving cargo through Georgia’s deepwater ports.”
Lynch said producers are drawn to the Port of Savannah’s market area by the South’s lower operating costs, growing population base and logistical advantages. The Port of Savannah features the most direct global port-to-port connections of any U.S. port besides New York-New Jersey.
In addition…
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