The river's convergence formed a natural harbor, which was why the Council of Georgia decided to establish a town there in the 1770s.

[6] In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed Brunswick as one of the five original ports of entry for the Thirteen Colonies.

During the American Civil War, the city prospered as the port became a major exporter of cotton, lumber, timber and naval stores.

[6] The Great Depression and the reduction in cotton production and naval stores for export nearly shut the port down.

Brunswick is the primary U.S. port of automobile imports for manufacturers Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Mitsubishi and Volvo.