SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 5, 2026 – The Georgia Ports Authority welcomed the announcement of a new trade agreement between the U.S. and India, opening the way for increased business between the two countries.
“This is excellent news for American exporters and consumers, for Georgia and for our customers,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “GPA has long thought India will be the key to our future success with the market proximity our U.S. East Coast gateway port offers. In time, this will bring more volumes to Georgia Ports.”
Georgia Ports handled 22 percent of India’s containerized trade on the U.S. East Coast in fiscal year 2025. Savannah’s overall loaded container trade with India grew by nearly 48 percent to 304,450 twenty-foot equivalent container units FY2021-2025.
A Growing Economy
With India set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy in 2026, the country holds major trade potential for American shippers. Home to nearly 1.5 billion people, India is already the world’s most populous country. Sixty-five percent of the population is under age 35. India and the U.S. are both democracies, English-speaking and offer huge economic potential. Sourcing from India helps U.S. companies diversify their supply chains and offers a cost competitive procurement strategy. India is expected to outpace other Asian nations this year, with a projected GDP growth of 6.5 percent in 2026, according to the World Bank.
Faster Connections
The Port of Savannah offers faster total transit times for Indian cargo destined for markets such as Atlanta, Memphis and Nashville, compared to West Coast gateways. Ocean routes are shorter from India to the U.S. East Coast, and Savannah delivers faster rail service.
Six weekly vessel services provide direct Savannah–India connections, with a total of 10 services linking Savannah to the broader Indian subcontinent. Eleven ocean carriers operate on these routes, delivering transit times as short as 29 days. Direct services call Nhava Sheva/Mumbai, Pipavav and Hazira with additional port calls on the Indian subcontinent, including Colombo, Sri Lanka.
With Savannah’s industry-leading speed to U.S. rail of 22 hours, cargo is discharged from vessels on day one, placed on rail by day two, and available at many inland destinations by day three. The Port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal handles 42 trains per week, with double-stack rail service from CSX and Norfolk Southern to all major inland markets.
ABOUT GEORGIA PORTS
Georgia’s Ports in Savannah and Brunswick are strategic gateways, creating the most competitive supply chains in the nation with their level of operations, connectivity and supply chain ecosystem. These attributes combined with Georgia’s ranking as the top state to do business for 12 consecutive years create a unique business model for growth. The Port of Savannah is one of the best-connected ports in the U.S. to world markets with 39 ship calls a week, 42 doublestack trains per week and 14,000 truck gate moves daily. The Port of Brunswick is the top U.S. RoRo port for automotive and machinery logistics with over $262 million in recent upgrades and a new $100 million fourth berth being built. GPA has a self-financed $4.5 billion investment plan for the next ten years which will see five new big ship berths added in Savannah and a fourth berth in Brunswick to meet future growth. In the past decade, GPA has invested $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements. For further information, visit gaports.com or contact Tom Boyd, Chief Communications Officer at [email protected] 912-964-3884.