N.Y.-N.J. port posts 7.6% container cargo increase for 2005

N.Y.-N.J. port posts 7.6% container cargo increase for 2005    Containerized cargo volumes in the Port of New York and New Jersey rose 7.6 percent to a new record high in 2005, exceeding projected cargo growth.
   The port handled 4.79 million TEUs in 2005, a 7 percent increase over 4.48 million TEUs in 2004, according to figures released by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
   Total value of all cargo moving through the port in 2005 was $132 billion, up from $114 billion in the previous year.
   Loaded TEUs totaled 3.39 million TEUS, a 7.6 percent increase over 3.15 million TEUs in 2004. Of the loaded total, 2.41 million TEUs were imports and 976,882 TEUs were exports
   Total bulk cargo increased to 56.62 million metric tons, a 2.6 percent increase over 55.17 million metric tons in 2004.
   Bulk cargo imports totaled 53.45 million metric tons in 2005, up from 51.77 million metric tons in 2004. However, bulk cargo exports decreased by 6.8 percent in 2005 to 3.17 million metric tons from 3.40 million metric tons in 2004.
   Automobiles handled through the port, including cars, trucks, vans and SUVs, totaled 722,411 units in 2005, “nearly identical to the 2004 numbers,” the port authority said.
   China continues to be the port’s largest trading partner, accounting for 22.6 percent of the port’s overall cargo volumes. Trade with China grew 25 percent in 2005. Asia continues to be the port’s largest market for containerized cargo, with a 46 percent share.
   China, Italy, Germany, India and Brazil were the port’s top trading parties for general cargo in 2005.
   The port’s ranking import cargo commodities on a tonnage basis in 2005 were beverages, vehicles and plastic. The top exported cargo commodities were wood pulp, plastic and machinery.
   The port’s volume of exports to India increased 52 percent over 2004, with the main commodities being wood pulp, iron and steel scrap, and machinery. In 2005, exports to Russia increased by 40 percent over 2004, with the principal commodities being vehicles and meat.
   ExpressRail, the port authority’s rail terminal network in New Jersey, handled a record 303,032 containers in 2005, almost 7 percent more than in 2004.