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Port Traffic Trends: New York/New Jersey, Port Metro Vancouver, South Jersey, Virginia

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New York/New Jersey: Seaport Container Volume Record in 2014

The port authority reports cargo container volumes at the Port of New York and New Jersey set a new record in 2014, surpassing the previous record set in 2012.

The calendar year total of 3,342,286 cargo containers (or 5,772,303 TEUs) equates to increases of 5.4 percent from 2013 and 4.1 percent from the previous port record.

ExpressRail, the port authority’s ship-to-rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals, also set a new record, handling 465,405 containers during the year, up 9.3 percent over 2013. The previous annual record was set in 2012, with 433,481 containers handled. 

During 2014, China remained the top import country serving the port, with 923,975 import containers. Following China are Germany (179,715) and India (176,621). Top containerized imports were furniture, beverages and appliances.

The agency’ says its investment of more than $600 million in ExpressRail – and its upcoming plans to build a new ExpressRail facility in Greenville Yard in Jersey City – have been critical to addressing the need for on-dock rail to improve port efficiency, competitiveness and reduce emissions. The port’s road, rail and security projects are now funded by portwide Cargo Facility Charges.

On the labor front, 601 new longshoremen and checkers have been certified by the Waterfront Commission in the past year to work at the port and of that number, 577 are currently working, while the balance are preparing to begin their employment. 

"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 Port Authority Port Commerce Director Richard Larrabee. "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."

In 2014, the port reported a 12.8 percent decrease in vehicles handled in the port – to 393,931 units from 451,900 units in 2013.  Last April, the port authority began a targeted incentive program to attract new automobile manufacturers and to provide incentives to encourage existing customers to increase the port’s vehicle volumes.

In 2014, there were 2,432 vessel calls in the port, down 2.3 percent from 2,488 s in 2013. According to the port authority, the fewer vessel calls illustrate that much of the cargo coming into the port is arriving in larger ships, a trend it expects will continue after the Bayonne Bridge is raised. 

Construction on the $1.6 billion bridge project is continuing, and, when completed in the summer of 2016, will allow larger post-Panamax vessels to travel underneath it. Work also is continuing on the 50-foot harbor deepening project, which also is expected to be completed early 2016. The project also will allow new, larger vessels to call on port terminals. 

To continue the port’s ability to handle increasing cargo volumes, the port authority formed a Port Performance Task Force in December 2013 to explore ways to improve efficiency and service reliability at the port. The task force developed a series of 23 recommendations that if implemented would reduce truck congestion and air emissions in the Port of New York and New Jersey, improve customer service for truckers and other port stakeholders, and enhance the flow of goods to and from the marketplace. A group of port stakeholders – the Council on Port Performance – has been formed to begin the task of planning and implementing the recommendations.

Another Record Year for Port Metro Vancouver 

Port Metro Vancouver experienced a second consecutive year of record cargo tonnage and container volumes in 2014, according to data released late last week by the port authority.

The year was marked by best-ever volumes in the bulk and container sectors, resulting in a record overall year in tonnage.  In sum, the port handled 139.6 million metric tons of cargo in 2014, up three percent from 2013.  Inbound cargo alone accounted for 28.5 million tons (+4.1 percent) and outbound for 111.1 million tons (+3.3 percent).

"The port had another record year for cargo volumes, illustrating the demands created by a growing Canadian economy and increasing international desire for Canadian trade," said Robin Silvester, President and Chief Executive Officer, Port Metro Vancouver. "I’m proud of the leading-edge environmental initiatives, community engagement and infrastructure projects we have completed this year to help balance this continued growth with our local quality of life." 

Bulk volumes increased by 5.3 percent over 2013, with substantial increases in grain exports after a bumper crop year and strong international demand spurred an 18 percent increase in exports of wheat and 31 percent increase for canola. Bulk coal remained strong as volumes increased in several emerging markets. Bulk potash reached a record 7.5 million tons, a 14 percent increase from the previous year.

Container throughput continued to grow, up 3.1 percent from 2013 to an all-time high of 2,912,928 TEUs, despite reduced volumes in the month of March due to a container trucking disruption. 

Auto volumes declined, large due, the port authority says, to a shift in vehicle production from Asia to North America. Breakbulk volumes also fell slightly due to a decrease in log exports.  Cruise passenger numbers, however, remained strong, as Port Metro Vancouver welcomed 812,095 passengers throughout the 2014 season.
 

South Jersey Port: Double Digit Cargo Growth, Import Steel Record in 2014 

Double-digit cargo increases for the second consecutive year are reported by the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC), with throughput at its Camden (NJ) marine terminals in 2014 jumping by more than 24 percent to 2,264,746 short tons.

"Overall 2014 has been a very good year and 2015 is showing some very positive trends," said Kevin Castagnola, chief executive officer and executive director of the SJPC.

Steel imports lead the way, up 65 percent rom to an all-time high of 900,097 tons, besting the previous record of 752,542 tons set in 1997. In December alone, the port unloaded 124,549 tons, more than doubled the steel tonnage handled in December 2013. The steel comes mainly from Europe.

Break-bulk cargo overall increased 47 percent to 1,104,521 tons, including: scrap metal – 522,380 tons (+5.0 percent); cement – 371,678 tons (+13 percent); and cocoa beans – 66,036 tons (+9 percent).  Salt shipments doubled to 137,622 tons.

In 2014, the SJPC's marine terminals handled 157 ships, up from 145 in 2013.  Ship days (i.e. the number of days a ship is loading or unloading at SJPC terminals) also increased, by 22 percent to 474 from 385.

The South Jersey Port Corporation owns, operates and manages the Balzano Marine Terminal and the Broadway Terminal in Camden and the Salem Marine Terminal in Salem and is developing a new port facility, the Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Paulsboro.  It is also the grantee for Foreign Trade Zone #142.

Virginia: January Container Count up 15 percent; Rail, Barge and Truck Volumes Jump 

The Port of Virginia this January experienced a 15 percent jump in container volumes and hefty gains from a year ago as well for rail, barge and truck borne container moves at its Hampton Roads facilities.

In detail, the January data show a container count totaling 191,996 TEUs, the most for any January on record and an increase from January 2014 of 24,725 TEUs. Also higher were containers transported to and from the port by rail (+22 percent), barge (+17 percent), and truck (+12 percent). Click here for details.

"January delivered continued strong volumes," said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. "While we continue to experience challenges at the gates, cargo owners are choosing to move their cargo over Virginia because they see a sense of urgency in what we are doing and they see us beginning to invest."

Mr. Reinhart said that since the beginning of the year, the port has had a few weeks of good tempo at the gates, but it is still inconsistent. A takeaway from the Port Productivity Summit held Jan. 23 was the need for more information on the gates: On its website each Monday the port now publishes a weekly summary of gate activity.

Presently, those are traditional turn-times and do not include queue time, but in the first week of March the port will begin recording and reporting traditional and total turn times. 

"Our goal is 60 minutes or less per transaction and the numbers are trending in the right direction, and it is our focus to hit that 60-minute mark, consistently, every week," Mr. Reinhart said. "We think greater use of Saturday gates and shifting more, smaller vessel services over to PMT to take some pressure off Virginia International Gateway and Norfolk International Terminals will be contributors to achieving that goal with consistency."
 

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