News

Port of New York and New Jersey 2015 Cargo Volumes Rise 10%

Source: Lloyd”s List

February 9th 2016

Annual cargo volumes handled at the port of New York and New Jersey increased 10% to 6.4m teu in 2015, the port authority announced Monday.

The rise was fueled by an 8.4% increase in import loaded containers, to 3.2m teu in 2015, the port said.

The port moved 499,225 teu in December alone, a 3% increase over the previous year.

“We want to be the best maritime gateway in the United States, and these impressive numbers show we are making progress to achieve that goal,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey port commerce director Molly Campbell.

“However, for us to efficiently handle the larger ships and cargo volumes that want to come here, we must join with our stakeholders to continue to implement strategies to improve port performance. We have made strides in this area, but clearly more must be done,” she said.

To accommodate larger vessels, the port is in the process of deepening the channel to 15 m and raising the Bayonne Bridge, with the navigational clearance expected to be complete by the end of 2017.

The port is the busiest on the US east coast, with nearly 30% of the area”s total market share.