Rise in Asian cargo boosts Port of New York and New Jersey

Rise in Asian cargo boosts Port of New York and New Jersey    A surge of goods shipped to and from Asia boosted the Port of New York and New Jersey's cargo growth 10 percent in the first half of 2005.
   Asian cargoes accounted for 771,000 TEUs or 46 percent of the 1.7 million TEUs handled during the first six months of this year, compared to 1.5 TEUs for the same period of 2004. Imports from Asia were up 28 percent.
   Overall imports increased 11.7 percent to 1.16 million TEUs, from 1.04 million TEUs in 2004. Exports rose 6.5 percent to 490,145 TEUs, from 460,086 TEUs.
   Furniture ranked as New York-New Jersey's top import, accounting for 103,387 TEUs, up by 24.3 percent from the first six months of 2004. The second-ranked import was women's and infants' clothing, 28,311 TEUs, up 13.2 percent; followed by paper and paperboard, 25,042 TEUs, up 30.8 percent; and beer and ale, 23,671 TEUs, up 19.4 percent.
   The top first-half export was paper and paperboard, 98,940 TEUs, up 4.3 percent.