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Port of entry: Savannah, Georgia

Customs broker for the Port of Savannah

The Port of Savannah is CBP port 1703 in the Atlanta Field Office. Allied CHB files the ISF and the entry for containers at Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal in ACE under filer code 9AJ.

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Port facts

What does CBP port 1703 cover?

CBP lists Savannah, Georgia as port 1703. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) operates the two container terminals. These facts come from the CBP, FDA, GPA and eCFR pages in the source list.
CBP port code
1703
Savannah, Georgia
Mode
Sea
Ocean containers. The CBP port page also lists a contact for aircraft arrivals.
Container terminals
Garden City Terminal, Ocean Terminal
Garden City Terminal has the Mason Mega Rail yard on the terminal. GPA is renovating Ocean Terminal for containers.
CBP field office
Atlanta
Also 1601 Charleston, 1704 Atlanta and 1701 Brunswick
CBP port offices
Operations Center, 139 Southern Blvd
Mailing address: the Customhouse, 1 East Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Terminal free time
7 calendar days
For loaded import containers at GPA terminals (GPA tariff, Rule 34-505)
General order
From day 15 after landing
On day 15, unentered cargo can go to a general order warehouse. You pay the storage and carry the risk (19 CFR 4.37).
FDA
Division of Southeast Imports
Savannah Resident Post (covers ports 1703 and 1701)
USFWS designated port
No
50 CFR 14.12 lists Atlanta, Georgia, not Savannah.

Which agencies check cargo at the Port of Savannah?

CBP releases the container. FDA and the other agencies must also release the goods that they regulate. GPA does not let a container leave the terminal while a hold is open.
Agencies at the Port of Savannah (port 1703)
AgencyOffice for port 1703What it means for your cargo
CBPPort 1703, Atlanta Field OfficeThe CBP port page gives an email box for trade questions (SAVTRADE@cbp.dhs.gov), a phone number for the entry department and an email box for fines, penalties and forfeitures.
FDADivision of Southeast Imports, Savannah Resident PostFood, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. For an entry under initial review, FDA asks you to contact the FDA ImportShield Program. For an exam, a sample, a detention or a refusal, you contact the Division of Southeast Imports.
CBP agriculture and USDA APHIS PPQCBP agriculture inspections at the portCBP agriculture specialists check plant and animal products and wood packaging. The nearest USDA plant inspection station for plants for planting is in Atlanta.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNot a designated port for wildlifeWildlife must enter at a designated port, for example Atlanta, Georgia (50 CFR 14.11 and 14.12). A Service permit can allow a nondesignated port.
CITES logs and lumberDesignated USDA portSavannah is one of the ports for logs and lumber of tree species on the CITES lists (50 CFR 24.12(e)). Other CITES plants use the ports in 50 CFR 24.12(a).

What does Savannah import, and which rules matter most?

GPA market data for fiscal year 2026 shows the top import groups at Savannah by loaded containers: machinery, appliances and electronics first, then retail consumer goods, then furniture, then automotive goods.

  • Retail consumer goods

    Most retail goods arrive in full containers for distribution centers. File the ISF no later than 24 hours before loading at the foreign port (19 CFR 149.2). For regular imports, a continuous bond usually costs less than one bond for each entry. See ISF filing.

  • Furniture

    Wooden furniture can need a Lacey Act plant product declaration. Composite wood parts must carry the TSCA Title VI label (40 CFR 770.45). Some furniture from China is under antidumping duty orders. See furniture imports.

  • Machinery, appliances and electronics

    Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum and copper can apply to machines and appliances on the derivative lists. The correct HTS number decides this. See machinery imports.

  • Automotive goods and vehicles

    Auto parts arrive in containers at Savannah. GPA handles Ro-Ro vehicles at the Port of Brunswick, which is a separate CBP port (1701). For a car in a container, we file the DOT HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 data with the entry. See vehicle import.

My container goes inland by rail. Where do I clear customs?

GPA runs two inland rail terminals in Georgia. Both connect to the Port of Savannah. The customs question is the same for both: clear the goods at Savannah, or move them in-bond.

  • Appalachian Regional Port

    In Crandall, Georgia, in Murray County. CSX serves it on a direct rail route to Garden City Terminal.

  • Gainesville Inland Port

    In Gainesville, Georgia. It opened on May 4, 2026. Norfolk Southern gives it a direct rail link to the Port of Savannah.

If CBP and the other agencies release the goods at Savannah, the rail move is a domestic move. If the container leaves before release, it must move in-bond and reach the CBP port of destination within 30 days (19 CFR 18.1(i)). See in-bond moves.

What goes wrong at port 1703, and what should I do?

  • Terminal free time ends

    GPA gives loaded import containers 7 consecutive calendar days of free time (Rule 34-505). After that, import storage charges start. File the entry before the vessel arrives, so that a hold shows early.

  • The container stays more than 30 days

    Under GPA Rule 34-520, GPA can move a loaded container that stays on the terminal more than 30 consecutive days to off-terminal storage, at the cargo owner's risk and expense. Storage charges continue there.

  • CBP orders an intensive exam

    The container moves to a centralized examination station (CES), a facility where CBP examines goods (19 CFR 118.1). GPA Rule 34-525 sets charges to move containers from Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal to the CES. CES operators bill their own exam fees, and those fall on the importer (19 CFR 118.4).

  • Carrier demurrage and detention invoices

    Carrier charges are separate from GPA storage. The FMC billing rule lists what each carrier invoice must show (46 CFR 541.6) and gives you at least 30 days to dispute it (46 CFR 541.8). Read our demurrage guide.

  • No entry by day 15

    If there is still no entry on the 15th calendar day after the vessel unloads, CBP can send the cargo to a general order warehouse (19 CFR 4.37). A hold on an inland rail booking does not stop this clock.

How does Allied CHB file an entry at port 1703?

Allied CHB files entries remotely in ACE under filer code 9AJ at every U.S. port of entry. Our office is in Rahway, New Jersey. GPA, the carrier and your trucker or railroad move the container. We file the ISF and the entry, and we answer CBP and FDA for you.

Tell us early if the container goes to an inland rail terminal. Then we file the entry in time for release at Savannah, or we plan the in-bond move. For the first entry, sign the power of attorney online.

  • Master and house bill of lading numbers

  • ISF data

    Send it before the container is loaded at the foreign port.

  • Commercial invoice and packing list

  • Importer of record number and a customs bond

    A formal entry needs a bond. See customs bonds.

  • Final destination

    Savannah area, Appalachian Regional Port, Gainesville Inland Port or another place.

  • Product details

    Materials, use and wood content, so that we can classify the goods and find the agency rules.

Quote on request

How do I get a quote?

Tell us about the container. We reply with a quote and the list of documents that we need.

Request: Customs entry at the Port of Savannah

Quote on request

Do not send an EIN, a Social Security number or a password in this form. We ask for them securely later.

Or call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com.

Questions

Questions about customs at the Port of Savannah

What is the CBP port code for Savannah?

1703. CBP lists Savannah, Georgia as port 1703 in the Atlanta Field Office. Brunswick, Georgia is a separate port, 1701, and Atlanta is port 1704.

How long is the free time at Garden City Terminal?

The GPA tariff gives loaded import containers 7 consecutive calendar days (Rule 34-505). After that, GPA charges import storage. Your carrier contract can have different free time for carrier demurrage and detention.

Which FDA office handles my food shipment at Savannah?

The Savannah Resident Post of the FDA Division of Southeast Imports. It covers ports 1703 Savannah and 1701 Brunswick. For the status of an entry, FDA points importers to its ITACS system.

Can I clear customs at the Appalachian Regional Port or the Gainesville Inland Port?

These are GPA rail terminals, not CBP ports. You can clear the goods at Savannah before the rail move. If the goods are not released, the container must move in-bond to a CBP port of destination.

Can I import a car through Savannah?

Yes, in a container. GPA handles Ro-Ro vehicles at Brunswick, port 1701. Each vehicle needs DOT Form HS-7 and EPA Form 3520-1 with the entry. Read how to import a car.

Can wildlife products enter through Savannah?

Not as a rule. Savannah is not a designated port for wildlife (50 CFR 14.12). Wildlife goes through a designated port such as Atlanta, unless the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues a permit for Savannah.

Container arriving at Savannah?

Send the bill of lading, the invoice and the final destination. We file the ISF and the entry in ACE and tell you what each agency needs.

Call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com

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Last reviewed September 28, 2026. This page explains customs rules in general terms. It is not legal advice. Duty rates and CBP procedures change often, and we confirm the figures for your shipment in writing before you commit.

Sources