en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port of Savannah, USA, will launch a refrigerated cargo inspection facility operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 1, 2026, providing a new option for inspecting imported perishable goods.
Covering 4,000 square feet, the facility enables refrigerated cargo inspections in a temperature-controlled environment, aiming to prevent cold chain disruptions and maintain the quality and safety of fresh products. Griff Lynch, President and CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), emphasized the significance of this infrastructure for perishable goods trade. He noted that the on-terminal customs station supports rapid processing of perishable cargo, and for shippers, it is crucial to get products to market quickly while ensuring food safety.
The new facility is equipped with dedicated infrastructure to ensure temperature control, ventilation, and cleanliness throughout the inspection process. Additionally, it features 20 power outlets for refrigerated containers on chassis. The facility will also be used to enhance U.S. plant protection, helping to prevent the impact of invasive pests and plant diseases on local agriculture. The new inspection area will complement Savannah's existing refrigerated storage capacity. Currently, 12 companies in the region operate nearly 2.4 million square feet of refrigerated infrastructure, including 1.64 million square feet of frozen product storage and over 752,000 square feet of refrigerated cargo storage.
This project aims to address the increasing flow of perishable products entering through the Port of Savannah, one of GPA's fastest-growing sectors. According to port authority data, refrigerated cargo imports grew by 10.5% year-over-year in the current fiscal year (July 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026), during which the port handled 43,540 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of refrigerated products.
The new facility is part of a $49.25 million investment to relocate CBP operations from a former 130,000-square-foot building at the Garden City Terminal to a new 300,000-square-foot site within the same port complex. In addition to customs work, the site will allow inspections by other federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project also includes a 400,000-square-foot outdoor inspection parking lot to enhance the Port of Savannah's operational capacity for handling international trade in fruits and other perishable products.
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