advertisement

---

Another sign that North American intermodal traffic is increasing at a double-digit clip this year: During the first half, the Port of New York and New Jersey handled more than 1.8 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 10.1 percent increase compared with the same 2005 period and new first-half record. The port’s cargo volume also exceeded a growth projection of 7 percent.

Port officials attribute the increase to burgeoning Asian trade, which accounted for 48 percent of first-half cargo volume. Imports totaling 1.2 million TEUs rose 11.7 percent and exports totaling 512,484 TEUs increased 6.5 percent compared with first-half 2005.

“The tremendous cargo growth we continue to experience presents us with a major challenge,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Kenneth Ringler in a prepared statement. “We’re responding with a $600 million investment in rail infrastructure that will help us to improve productivity at the port, and we continue to work closely with the private terminal operators to provide longer gate hours and new technology that will allow cargo containers to be moved on and off the port more efficiently.”