Since May, holiday items have been arriving at the Port of New York and New Jersey in anticipation of the December shopping season. Popular items such as furniture, home goods, kitchenware, computers, televisions, electronics, and alcohol passed efficiently through the port. They were loaded onto trucks and trains for trips to stores and fulfillment centers across the country. 

The journey for these items, however, was not easy. For the past 16 months, the Port of New York and New Jersey has been managing a cargo surge that has pushed cargo volume up by nearly 24 percent compared to 2020. In addition, supply chain bottlenecks between the cargo’s departure from the port to warehouse and distribution centers were ongoing. Supply chain bottlenecks at other ports in the U.S. also affected the arrival of goods in New York and New Jersey stores. 

Despite the struggles and complex logistics of getting goods to stores and e-commerce fulfillment centers nationwide, the Port of New York and New Jersey continued to move goods as efficiently as possible. The port’s container terminal operators and the International Longshoremen’s Association workers put in extra hours to absorb the unprecedented growth in cargo volumes. Their efforts, along with the efforts of all port workers, helped fill the shelves with goods, making the holiday season a little brighter for consumers across the county.

Read more about the port’s Holiday Shopping Tips on the Port Authority blog here.