Port of New York and New Jersey broke cargo record in 2014

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) set a new cargo record in 2014 at 3,342,286 units, surpassing the previous high-water mark recorded in 2012, the port announced earlier this month.

Annual volume rose 5.4 percent versus 2013's total and 4.1 percent versus 2012's mark. The cargo flow enabled PANYNJ to maintain its position as the East Coast's busiest port, with nearly 30 percent of total market share, authority officials said in a press release.

ExpressRail — PANYNJ’s ship-to-rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals — also set a new record at 465,405 containers, up 9.3 percent year over year. The previous record of 433,481 containers was set in 2012.

"Our port is continuing to reap the benefits of an uptick in the economy, which has resulted in the hiring of more dockworkers and economic growth for the region," said PANYNJ Executive Director Pat Foye.

China remained the port's top import nation last year with 923,975 containers. Germany was No. 2 at 179,715 containers and India was No. 3 at 176,621 containers. The top imported commodities were furniture, beverages and appliances.

However, the port reported a 12.8 percent decrease in vehicles handled, from 451,900 units in 2013 to 393,931 in 2014. To attract new vehicle business, the authority began an incentive program in April 2014 aimed at attracting new automobile manufacturers to the port and providing incentives to existing customers.

"We made progress last year to more efficiently handle the level of cargo coming into this port, but we clearly recognize more needs to be done," said Richard Larrabee, the authority's commerce director. "We have a clear plan moving forward to meet the challenges that lie ahead to ensure that we can accommodate the larger ships and the cargo volumes that want to come to the New York-New Jersey region."