Port of New York and New Jersey officials and marine terminal operator representatives recently briefed more than 100 people at Wind Creek Bethlehem in Bethlehem on the port’s plans, cargo activity, and port capabilities.
The port is the largest on the East Coast and is located approximately 85 miles east of the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and the Port Authority have held discussions about bringing intermodal rail service between the port and Bethlehem. Rail service would potentially increase the region’s competitiveness and economic development.
The port is located within 250 miles of one-third of the nation’s gross domestic product, and shipments from the port can reach 125 million people within 36 hours, according to Nicholas Raspanti, the port’s maritime cargo sales manager.
“We’re working all the time to interact with our customer base to share information, promote the port, and to get people to continue to ship their freight through our facilities,” Raspanti said.
A total of 7.2 million 20-foot equivalent units were imported at the port in 2018, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.
Since completing a $2.1 billion project to dredge the port, it has the capacity to handle container ships of up to 18,000 20-foot equivalent units.