Georgia
Tariffs hurt Georgia’s ports in October. There’s cautious optimism for 2026.
‘I really, truly believe things are settling down,’ ports authority CEO says.
The Cosco Pride is unloaded at the Port of Savannah, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Garden City, near Savannah, Ga. (Mike Stewart/AP)
Georgia’s bustling Savannah port wasn’t so busy in October, with container volumes down 8.4% compared to the same month a year ago, as the effects of global tariffs continued.
But Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch is optimistic that the second half of the fiscal year, starting in January, will see improvement at its Savannah and Brunswick ocean ports.
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President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
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The cargo vessel Zim Mount Vinson navigates the Savannah River moving toward the Port of Savannah, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Garden City, near Savannah, Ga. (Mike Stewart/AP)
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Georgia Ports Authority plans to open its new inland rail port, the Blue Ridge Connector, northwest of Gainesville, Ga., in May. It is 80% complete as of November. (Courtesy of Georgia Ports Authority)
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As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.