Port Infrastructure Roundup: Savannah Posts Record Volumes While MSC Expands Mexico Service

## Port of Savannah Hits 5.67m TEUs as Infrastructure Expands The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has closed fiscal year 2026 on a strong note, with the Port of Savannah recording 5.67 million TEUs across the full year — a figure that underscores the facility's growing role as a primary gateway for US East Coast trade. According to Port Technology, Savannah handled 483,684 TEUs in June alone, representing a rise of nearly 73,300 TEUs, or approximately 18 per cent, compared with the same month in the prior year. The result caps a fiscal year that has seen sustained volume growth driven by ongoing infrastructure investment and expanding inland connectivity. Adding to the milestone, the Appalachian Regional Port in northwest Georgia recorded a new throughput record of 49,319 intermodal container moves during the period, reflecting the authority's strategy of distributing cargo flows deeper into the US interior. The GPA's continued capital investment in berth capacity, rail infrastructure and yard automation positions Savannah as one of the most competitive container ports on the Eastern Seaboard, and the latest figures suggest that strategy is delivering tangible results for shippers and logistics providers. --- ## MSC Launches Sierra Service at Contecon Manzanillo In a separate development signalling growing carrier interest in the Mexico trade lane, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has made the inaugural call of its new Sierra service at Contecon Manzanillo, the Mexican terminal operated by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI). As reported by Port Technology, Sierra represents MSC's second dedicated Far East–Mexico service, providing importers, exporters and logistics providers with additional frequency and capacity on one of Latin America's most strategically important trade corridors. The launch reflects broader industry efforts to strengthen direct links between Asian manufacturing hubs and Mexican ports, reducing reliance on transhipment and offering more competitive transit times for cargo destined for Mexican and broader North American markets. Contecon Manzanillo, situated on Mexico's Pacific coast, is well positioned to serve as a key node for trans-Pacific trade, and the addition of a second MSC Far East string reinforces the terminal's competitive standing among major carriers operating in the region. --- Together, these developments highlight a period of active capacity expansion and route development across North American port markets, as terminal operators and ocean carriers respond to shifting trade patterns and sustained demand from shippers seeking reliable, high-frequency services.