Georgia Ports Authority finished the first half of fiscal 2014 with an 8 percent bump in total tonnage and container growth up nearly 6 percent at more than 1.5 million 20-foot containers. Tonnage increases were reported in container, bulk and auto sectors, GPA executive director Curtis Foltz reported to his board today.
December numbers contributed to an already strong start to the year that began July 1, Foltz reported, with more than 2.3 million tons of cargo moved and 235,000 containers handled - up 7.4 percent from the same month last year.
“For the second half of the year, we expect continued modest container growth in the 5- to 7-percent range,” he said, adding that GPA “absolutely will hit 3 million (20-foot containers) by year’s end.”
On the harbor deepening front, GPA chairman Bob Jepson said he expects dredging to begin in the first half of 2014.
“We have run a long race,” Jepson said. “We are so close now, we can almost reach out and touch the fuzz on the finish line.”
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