SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Retailers scrambling to stock up ahead of anticipated stiff tariffs on imports boosted the Port of Savannah, one of the top U.S. container ports, to its second-busiest year ever, Georgia officials said Tuesday.
The Savannah port moved 5.7 million container units of imports and exports across its docks in the 2025 fiscal year that ended June 30, the Georgia Ports Authority reported. That's an increase of 8.6% over the prior fiscal year and just shy of the record 5.76 million container units Savannah handled in fiscal 2022.
The growth was caused in part by a surge in cargo since President Donald Trump returned to office in January promising heavy tariffs on China and other U.S. trading partners. But double-digit increases Savannah saw during the spring months were followed by a sizable drop in June container volumes as Trump's on-again, off-again tactics continued to fuel uncertainty.
“It’s just going to be this very up-and-down time until things get settled," said Georgia Ports Authority CEO Griff Lynch, who praised Trump's trade deal with the European Union as a step toward restoring stability. “I’m sure all of it will come together. It’s just a matter of timing.”
The Port of Savannah is the nation's No. 4 seaport for cargo shipped in containers, giant metal boxes used to transport goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens by ship, rail and truck.
Uncertainty surrounding Trump's tariff policies has resulted in gains, at least in the short term, at other major U.S. ports. A 90-day pause the Republican president placed on new tariffs announced in April gave American retailers and manufacturers a window to build up inventories ahead of new price hikes.
What happens to trade volumes in the coming months may depend on a big deadline Friday, when dozens of countries face increased tariffs on goods shipped to the U.S. if they don't reach a deal with the White House.
The Port of Los Angeles, the top U.S. container port, reported its busiest June ever to close out fiscal 2025 with 10.5 million container units handled — a 14% increase over the previous year.
At the Port of New York and New Jersey, the biggest East Coast port, container volumes from January through May were up 6.5% compared to the same period last year.
Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told reporters earlier this month that Trump's tactics have created a “whipsaw effect” as shipping volumes slow down with new tariff announcements, then surge suddenly to take advantage of delayed tariff start dates.
The National Retail Federation is forecasting that cargo containers shipped through U.S. ports will drop by double digits from August through November.
At the Port of Savannah, container volume jumped 22.5% in March to 533,995 units and remained above 500,000 container units through May. The streak ended in June, when container volumes fell 9.6% compared to a year earlier.
Georgia's nearby Port of Brunswick saw automobile shipments drop 2.2% as it moved 811,042 cars and trucks in fiscal 2025. Lynch said tariffs on auto imports factored into the decline. Last year, Brunswick was the top U.S. port for automobiles after passing the Port of Baltimore, which was shut down for weeks after the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Cargo volumes appeared flat in July said Lynch, who anticipates another decline in August. But he said he's optimistic the turbulence won't be prolonged.
“If they can nail these tariffs down, we’ll get back to normal trade," Lynch said.
This story has been corrected to show that automobiles shipped through Georgia declined 2.2% in fiscal 2025, not 16%
FILE- In this photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, a vessel is loaded with containers by several ship to shore crane at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah Garden City Terminal, on Oct. 21, 2021, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Georgia Port Authority, Stephen B. Morton, file)
The world’s first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters took effect Saturday, marking a historic moment for ocean conservation after nearly two decades of negotiations.
The High Seas Treaty will govern nearly half the planet’s surface – the vast ocean areas beyond any country’s control. These waters face mounting threats from destructive fishing practices, shipping, plastic pollution, overfishing and potential deep sea mining, all compounded by climate change. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, making its health critical for addressing the climate crisis.
The treaty entered into force 120 days after it reached the threshold of ratification by 60 countries in September. As of Friday, 83 countries had ratified it, including the recent addition of major maritime powers such as China and Japan.
The treaty creates the first framework for establishing Marine Protected Areas on the high seas, which make up about two-thirds of the world’s ocean. Currently, only around 1% of these international waters are protected.
From Saturday, ratifying countries must begin working together on ocean science and technology as well as help developing nations build capacity to participate in ocean governance. Companies planning activities that could harm marine life must conduct environmental impact assessments that meet the treaty’s standards. Those conducting research on ocean organisms that could be used commercially, such as for new medicines, must notify other countries and share their findings.
Perhaps most significantly, countries must now promote the treaty’s conservation goals when they participate in other international bodies that regulate ocean activities, such as regional fisheries organizations, the International Maritime Organization and the International Seabed Authority.
While key institutions like the treaty’s secretariat and scientific body are still being developed, countries can begin preparing proposals for Marine Protected Areas immediately. Potential sites include the Emperor Seamounts in the North Pacific, the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic and the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges off South America.
Conservationists warn governments must act quickly to achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 – a target scientists say is critical for ocean health. Because the high seas make up such a vast portion of the oceans, their protection is essential to reaching that goal.
“The marine protected areas under the treaty will only be as strong as the governments make them,” said Megan Randles, global political lead for Greenpeace’s Ocean Campaign. “We can’t trust big fishing industry players to simply stop fishing in these critical ecosystems. We need governments to use the treaty to force their hands.”
How those protected areas will actually be monitored and enforced is undecided. Countries are exploring various options, from satellite technology to coordinating patrols between multiple nations to using other UN agencies to help with oversight, said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. Those details will be worked out as the first protected areas take shape.
Within a year, the treaty’s first Conference of Parties will meet to decide key operational details, from budgets to the makeup of various committees. Countries have been working through many of those questions at preparatory meetings, with a final session scheduled for late March. The earliest any Marine Protected Areas could actually win approval would be at the second COP, since the scientific body that will review proposals hasn’t yet been established.
The United States has signed but not ratified the treaty, meaning it can participate as an observer but won’t have voting rights. Under international law, signatory countries are expected to comply with treaty objectives even before ratification.
“The High Seas Treaty has such incredibly broad and strong political support from across all regions of the world,” said Hubbard. “Whilst it’s disappointing that the U.S. hasn’t yet ratified, it doesn’t undermine its momentum and the support that it has already.”
Advocates emphasize that broad support must now turn into rapid implementation.
“The treaty is a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and protecting our global commons can still triumph over political rivalries,” Randles said. “The ocean connects us all.”
Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Strands of kelp rise from a thinned kelp forest off the coast of La Jolla, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
FILE - Corals grow off Efate Island, Vanuatu, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
FILE - Coral is visible in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
FILE - Common two-banded seabream fish swim in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
FILE - A clownfish swims at Havannah Harbour, off the coast of Efate Island, Vanuatu, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
