Port updates: PANYNJ moves most U.S. cargo in February; Virginia invests $18 million in inland ports

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) moved 571,177 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in February, the most of any U.S. port in that month, port authority officials announced yesterday.

PANYNJ exceeded the Port of Los Angeles' volume by more than 83,000 TEUs and the Port of Long Beach's by more than 27,000 TEUs, authority officials said in a press release. The two West Coast ports typically move the most cargo in the nation each month, but PANYNJ assumed the top spot every month from August through November last year.

PANYNJ also has moved the most cargo year-to-date in 2023, according to the latest data available — a total of 1,216,607 TEUs in the first two months.

The port has put an "aggressive" focus on clearing out empty containers to improve port operations and fluidity by creating more container terminal space, allowing imports to be processed more quickly, PANYNJ officials said.

"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," said PANYNJ Chairman Kevin O’Toole. 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.”

Many shippers have shifted their cargo away from the West Coast in part because of ongoing negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach leaders told RailPrime earlier this year. The union has been at the table with the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the region’s ports in contract negotiations, since May 2022; the previous contract covering more than 22,000 dockworkers expired July 1.

CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway serve PANYNJ.

Meanwhile, Port of Virginia officials announced the investment of $18 million in the Virginia Inland Port and Richmond Marine Terminal to expand capacity and reconfigure operations at those facilities. Work is underway at both sites.

At Virginia Inland Port, $15 million will be spent to expand and reconfigure rail operations and container stack yard. That work calls for building three new rail sidings and installing supportive technology infrastructure. The terminal will also receive four rubber-tire gantry cranes transferred from one of the port’s container terminals in Norfolk Harbor. The project will wrap up in 2024, port officials said in a press release.

At Richmond Marine Terminal, $3 million will fund improvements at the main gate and a drop-lot for motor carriers. The upgrades will enable faster processing of trucks and make way for the installation of two scales, port officials said. The drop-lot will provide an after-hours option for truckers to leave containers in a secure area near the terminal. The project will be completed in early 2024.

Virginia Inland Port is located on Norfolk Southern Railway’s Crescent Corridor line and provides daily double-stack rail service to and from the port’s harbor terminals.