Port of Brunswick sets auto, machinery handling record

Georgia Ports Authority recently completed $262 million in capacity upgrades in Brunswick, including new warehousing and vehicle processing space. [Photo: Georgia Ports Authority]

The Port of Brunswick, Ga,, now the busiest in the U.S. for vehicles and heavy equipment, handled an all-time record of 91,360 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo in March, up 18% or 14,125 units, compared to the same month last year.

“More manufacturers are making Colonel’s Island a main hub for the global trade of autos and machinery,” said Georgia Ports Authority president and CEO Griff Lynch. “Brunswick’s central location in the fast-growing U.S. Southeast market and unmatched capacity to take on new business mean our customers can plan for the long term.”

Lynch said similar to March container trade, higher RO/RO volumes were influenced by customers front-loading orders to avoid new tariffs.

Colonel’s Island Terminal also served a record 65 vessel calls last month, up from 52 in March 2024. The increase is thanks in part to service from two new ocean carriers. Hoegh Autoliners added a new service to Colonel’s Island, linking to Asia, with occasional auto export shipments to the Middle East. Switzerland-based Sallaum Lines is also now serving the Port of Brunswick, adding Colonel’s Island to its extensive Atlantic network linking Europe, North and South America, and Africa.

To handle growing trade, Phase I of a new railyard on the south side of Colonel’s Island Terminal will be completed in May 2025, doubling rail capacity from five to ten trains per week. The addition will increase the port’s annual rail capacity from approximately 150,000 autos to more than 340,000. Phase II will bring annual rail capacity to 590,000 units, greater than three times the current capacity.

Lynch said the additional capacity will allow for more inland routings for greater supply chain flexibility and velocity. More than 90% of vehicles moving by rail in Brunswick are U.S.-made exports.

GPA recently completed $262 million in capacity upgrades in Brunswick, including new warehousing and vehicle processing space. A fourth berth for RO/RO vessels is in the engineering phase.

“Steady infrastructure investments have helped establish Colonel’s Island as the nation’s premier gateway for autos and heavy equipment,” said GPA board chairman Kent Fountain. “Our Brunswick partners – International Auto Processing, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the International Longshoremen’s Association – have built a reputation for service that is drawing more business to Georgia.”

Lynch said GPA is closely monitoring the ongoing tariff discussions and how related developments might affect the ports of Savannah and Brunswick. He said tariff-related uncertainty has not affected GPA’s plans to invest $4.2 billion in capacity expansions over the next decade.