The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) and the Suez Canal Authority have signed an agreement to jointly promote the all-water shipping route between Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the North American east coast and the Port of Savannah via the Suez Canal.
"The Suez Canal has become a crucial canal for world trade and, in recent years, has experienced rapid growth," said GPA's chairman of the board of directors Steve Green. "In all of our key Suez trade lanes, whether Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Middle East, our growth is outpacing most other east coast ports."
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement gives both parties the opportunity to foster a strong working relationship and exchange information and expertise in the areas of marketing, operations and information technology.
"This strategic alliance will allow GPA and the Suez Canal Authority to improve services for our customers and generate new economic opportunities for Georgia and the south-eastern United States," said GPA's executive director Doug Marchand in a statement.
Last year, 67 per cent of GPA's total increase in trade, or an additional 296,989 TEU, was via the Suez Canal. "In the last 18 months, we have doubled the number of our Suez services, even in the midst of a US economic downturn," said Mr Marchand. "Our Suez trade will only continue to accelerate in the years ahead and this partnership will lay the ground work for even stronger growth."
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