NEW YORK, April 6, 2023 (Biz Republic) — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the Port of New York and New Jersey moved the most cargo in the nation in February 2023 and year-to-date in 2023.
In February, traditionally the slowest time of the year for all U.S. ports due to overseas production slowdowns and closures related to the Lunar New Year holiday, the port remained busy by moving 571,177 TEUs, the highest amount of cargo among peer ports, exceeding the Port of Los Angeles by more than 83,000 TEUs and exceeding the Port of Long Beach by more than 27,000 TEUs. The container port’s status as the busiest in the United States comes after the seaport was the second-busiest in the month of January, when the port moved 645,430 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
For the first two months of 2023, the port also was the busiest in the nation after moving a total of 1,216,607 TEUs. In particular, the port has been aggressively clearing out its empty container inventory with the removal of more than 390,000 TEUs so far this year. This evacuation of empty containers helps improve seaport operations and fluidity by ensuring more container terminal space for imports to be processed quickly at the port in the future.
“The Port of New York and New Jersey is again No. 1 in the nation,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “After years of unprecedented cargo growth, we are using this traditionally slow period to work with our port stakeholders who need to increase capacity throughout the regional supply chain. We expect a stronger second half of the year, as we have been in discussions with many importers that shifted volume to us from elsewhere and are now committed to keeping that volume in our gateway.”
“The Port of New York and New Jersey’s return to the top spot as the nation’s busiest demonstrates the port’s continued reliability and consistency as other ports experienced uncertainty and challenges recently,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Shippers and retailers know they can rely on the Port of New York and New Jersey to move their cargo quickly month-in and month-out, and that trust is a result of our deep relationships and collaboration with all links in the regional supply chain.”
The Port of New York and New Jersey was previously the busiest container port in the nation for four months from August through November 2022. In 2022, the port handled a total of nearly 9.5 million TEUs, its highest annual amount of cargo in its history. For more information on the port’s cargo volumes, including historic data, click here.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region.
The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge.
The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit.
