Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) second quarter of FY2010 (October ?C December 2009) has yielded a 3.6 percent increase in total TEUs, compared with the same quarter in the previous year.

"Georgia's ports are beginning to experience positive signs that the new shipping lines and capacity we added during the economic downturn are driving growth," said executive director Curtis Foltz said.

"The continued surge in demand for our export commodities is creating opportunities for trade."

Export volumes for December 2009 increased by 11.4 percent. Loaded import containers also increased by eight percent. Total TEUs handled for the month of December were 217,643, an 18.2-percent increase compared with December 2008.

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 $2.8 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia's