{"id":1608,"date":"2020-02-03T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T14:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awlcorp.com\/?p=1608"},"modified":"2023-05-11T18:51:49","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T18:51:49","slug":"kemp-kicks-off-georgia-foreign-trade-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awlcorp.com\/?p=1608","title":{"rendered":"Kemp kicks off Georgia Foreign Trade Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp touted the deepwater ports of Savannah and Brunswick as magnets for economic development in his address Monday to the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference. The Georgia Ports Authority handled 4.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units and 38.5 million tons of cargo in Calendar Year 2019. Find print quality photos here. (Georgia Ports Authority\/Emily Goldman)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Logistics industry \u2018a strong economic driver\u2019<\/h2>\n

SEA ISLAND, Ga.,\u00a0Feb. 3, 2020\u2013\u00a0Gov. Brian Kemp kicked off the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference Monday, highlighting the state and nation\u2019s continued strength in global trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith low unemployment, strong consumer confidence and a new trade deal with China that has already resulted in new poultry exports, Georgia is poised to be a bright spot for the nation in the coming year,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cIn 2020, we expect port activity, and the logistics industry in general, to remain a strong economic driver, and an important support network for farms and factories across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to a 2015 Chinese ban on U.S. poultry, the market represented $500 million in annual sales for U.S. producers. According to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, today the market for chicken feet alone amounts to $835 million per year for U.S. companies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the nation\u2019s largest poultry producer, Georgia stands to recapture a substantial portion of the Chinese market,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cForty percent of all frozen poultry that leaves the United States does so through the Port of Savannah.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first shipment of poultry \u2013 50,000 pounds of Georgia-produced chicken feet \u2013 arrived in China in January.\u00a0The governor added that cotton, animal feed, grain, peanuts and pecans, among other Georgia exports also stand to benefit from the Phase I trade deal with China, signed Jan. 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrong negotiations with China have paid off and present a substantial opportunity for producers in Georgia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Farm products are not the only promising export commodity for Georgia.\u00a0 Kemp recounted his April visit to the Port of Savannah to announce the decision by Plastic Express to build two 1 million square-foot facilities to handle plastic resin exports via Garden City Terminal.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction is complete on the first building for Plastic Express at the Port Logistics Center in Pooler,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cThat one company is bringing 166 new jobs and $172 million in investment to our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with resin packager A&R Logistics\u2019 decision to establish its global logistics center at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, resins represent a promising market opportunity for Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe outlook for growth through our\u00a0deepwater\u00a0terminals in Savannah and Brunswick remains strong,\u201d said GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight. \u201cIn just two projects announced last year, resin handlers Plastic Express and A&R Logistics will add hundreds of jobs to the Savannah area, nearly 3 million square feet of warehousing, and more than 90,000 TEUs of cargo annually through Garden City Terminal.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKnight also noted the Georgia Ports Authority wrapped up a strong Calendar Year 2019, moving a record 4.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units and 38.5 million tons of cargo.<\/p>\n

The 52nd annual Georgia Foreign Trade Conference runs through Feb. 4. The conference showcases Georgia\u2019s benefits to hundreds of attendees from senior level shippers to maritime executives, senior managers and decision-makers representing maritime logistics, railroads, motor carriers, warehousing, cargo owners and other stakeholders critical to the movement of international freight.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresenters at this year\u2019s event include some of the top minds in global logistics today, addressing the key challenges and market opportunities our industry will face over the next decade,\u201d said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. \u201cThrough networking and formal sessions, the GFTC gives logistics professionals a chance to learn from the best in the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia\u2019s\u00a0deepwater\u00a0ports and inland barge terminals support more than 439,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $25 billion in income, $106 billion in revenue and $2.9 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia\u2019s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8.5 percent of U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2017.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more information, visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>gaports.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>, or contact\u00a0GPA Chief Communications Officer\u00a0Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n