SAVANNAH — Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz reported 8 percent growth in containerized trade in February, compared to the same month a year ago.

"Our container volume growth continues to exceed our expectations in light of last year’s unprecedented cargo diversions from the West Coast," said Foltz. "Efficient access to market, proximity to major Southeast populations and GPA’s ability to quickly expand on-terminal container capacity are a few of the reasons for Savannah’s continued success."

In February, Garden City Terminal moved 307,035 20-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 8.1 percent, or 22,998 TEUs compared to February 2015. In contrast to 2014, GPA moved 23 percent more containerized cargo in February.

Total freight for February equaled 2.67 million tons across all cargo sectors, an improvement of 3.9 percent, or 100,495 tons. It was the seventh highest monthly performance ever recorded. Of the total, containerized trade accounted for 2.18 million tons, up 8.7 percent, or 175,184 tons.

GPA Board Chairman James Walters said the port is the third busiest in the nation for the export of containerized goods, behind only Houston and Los Angeles. "Last year, Savannah moved nearly 11.8 million tons of containerized exports," Walters said. "One out of every 10 tons of containerized U.S. exports went through Georgia’s ports."

Walters added, "Georgia’s deepwater ports in Savannah and Brunswick have become international cargo hubs, as well as excellent job generators for manufacturers throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Our ports support more than 369,000 jobs in Georgia, and more throughout this great country."