US Customs to open new chilled cargo inspection site at the Port of Savannah

US Customs is set to open a 4,000-square-foot refrigerated space at the Port of Savannah, which will be operational starting July 1.

“Our on-terminal customs station supports the expedited handling of perishable cargo,” said Georgia Port Authority (GPA) President and CEO Griff Lynch. “We know it’s important for shippers to get these commodities onto store shelves as quickly as possible while maintaining food safety.”

Refrigerated cargo inspections will be performed in a temperature-controlled environment, without breaking the cold chain. Port officials said the facility has specialized infrastructure to ensure temperature controls, cleanliness, ventilation and freshness throughout the clearance and inspection process. There are 20 refrigerated power plug-ins on the exterior walls for refrigerated containers on chassis. 

A nearly $50 million upgrade for the Port of Savannah

The Port of Savannah’s new inspection site supports one of the fastest-growing sectors for GPA. Chilled cargo imports are up 10.5 percent for the fiscal year to date (July 1, 2025-May 31, 2026) to 43,540 twenty-foot equivalent container units. 

The refrigerated space is part of a $49.25 million project that moved US Customs and Border Protection operations from their previous 130,000 square-foot location on Garden City Terminal to an adjacent 300,000 square-foot building, also on terminal.

The location accommodates federal inspections, not only by customs, but also by other agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition to the warehouse, the new space for CBP includes 400,000 square feet of parking for outdoor inspections.

*All images courtesy of Georgia Ports Authority. 

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