THE Port of Savannah handled 1,489,605 TEU between the months of July and February, a 10.9 per cent increase over the same period last year, Georgia Ports Authority's chief executive Curtis Foltz told a recent board meeting.

Mr Foltz said the Port of Savannah handled 189,057 TEU in the month of February 2007, a 17.6 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Georgia's deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 286,476 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute US$14.9 billion in income, $55.8 billion in revenue and some $2.8 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia's bustling economy.

A recent University of Georgia study, "The Economic Impact of Georgia's Deepwater Ports on Georgia's Economy in FY 2006," reported that one in 14 jobs in the state was in some way dependent on the ports.