The CMA CGM Figaro made its second call on the Port of Savannah on Dec. 10. The 8,500-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) capacity vessel covers the U.S. West Coast, Far East and U.S. East Coast trade via the Suez Canal. As one of the larger vessels calling on the U.S. East Coast, the Figaro allows American companies to better compete on a global scale by loading more exports and transporting them overseas quicker.
In order to more efficiently handle vessels like the Figaro, the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) will deepen the river from its current 42 ft depth to as much as 48 ft. This project – one of the most important and productive civil works projects in the country – will maintain and create jobs and commerce throughout the region.