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On behalf of the Port of NY/NJ, below is a message outlining the improvements made at the port in order to alleviate congestion. panynj

The strengthening economy, re-routed cargo from the West Coast, shifting trade routes and business trends have all contributed to a greater than 10 percent increase in overall cargo volumes in the Port of New York and New Jersey over the past two months. Our terminals have received more than a dozen “extra loaders” ocean carriers have employed to handle additional volume.

We recently received news that there will be a nationwide longshoremen strike in France beginning Thursday, April 9th, at 6am and running through Friday, April 10th.

Needless to say, this will negatively impact port operations, but we will do our best to ensure that our members’ shipments avoid problems or delays.

The Journal of Commerce reports, “High volume and the lingering impact of West Coast gridlock continue to produce uneven delays at East Coast container ports.”
Hampton Roads at the Port of Virginia and the Port of NY/NJ have been especially impacted by the volume surge. Both are staying open through Good Friday in order to catch up on some of the backlog. The Port of Savannah in Georgia has also seen sharp increases in volume due in combination to rerouted cargo from the West Coast and a strengthening economy. In February alone, container throughput at the port increased 14.2%.

On behalf of the Port Authority of NY/NJ, below are some tips that will help facilitate the movement of cargo through the port and ensure efficiency with the port’s high traffic volumes.

We continue to do our best to manage high traffic volumes at the Port of NY & NJ.

You are encouraged to take the following steps to facilitate your business:

1. sign up for PortNYNJAlerts at http://www.paalerts.com/default_Port.aspx to receive the latest information about terminal and roadway conditions, closures and more;

2. sign up for terminal specific email alerts and daily updates;

3.

Unions in Argentina have planned a strike for next Tuesday, March 31st. The unions are protesting to the government about the high taxes applied to profits.

While a one-day strike should not pose excessive problems to shippers, coincidentally April 1st & 2nd are holidays in Argentina. Therefore, three days will pass without normal operations, which could cause some complications.

We will keep you informed of this strike and will also be proactive with Argentinian shipments to ensure our members do not experience any problems or delays.