The Georgia Ports Authority has welcomed the announcement of a new trade agreement between the United States and India, saying the pact is expected to strengthen commercial ties and drive higher cargo volumes through its terminals.
GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch described the development as positive for exporters, consumers, and port customers, noting that India has long been viewed as a critical growth market for the authority’s U.S. East Coast gateway operations. He said the agreement could gradually translate into increased container traffic for Georgia’s ports.
The authority reported that it handled 22% of India’s containerized trade moving through U.S. East Coast ports in fiscal year 2025. Loaded container trade between India and the Port of Savannah rose nearly 48% between FY2021 and FY2025, reaching 304,450 twenty-foot equivalent units.
Officials highlighted India’s expanding economic influence as a key driver behind future trade flows. With the country projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2026 and expected to grow at about 6.5% this year, according to the World Bank, U.S. companies are increasingly looking to India to diversify sourcing and build more resilient supply chains.
Port leaders said Savannah offers logistical advantages for Indian cargo bound for inland markets such as Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville. Shorter ocean routes to the U.S. East Coast, combined with fast rail connections, allow shipments to move quickly through the gateway. Six weekly vessel services provide direct links between Savannah and India, supported by 11 ocean carriers and transit times as short as 29 days.
Cargo handled at Savannah can be discharged on arrival, transferred to rail within a day, and reach many inland destinations by the third day, aided by the port’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal, which operates 42 trains each week with double-stack rail service to major U.S. markets.
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