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Port of NY/NJ Claims Title of Busiest U.S. Port in May

Port of New York and New Jersey
Port of New York and New Jersey claimed title of busiest U.S. container port in May (Port Authority)

Published Jun 27, 2025 12:35 PM by The Maritime Executive


For the second year in a row, the Port of New York and New Jersey is claiming the title of the busiest U.S. container port in May. The East and West Coast pros have a running rivalry, but this year SoCal was hindered by the tariffs against Chinese imports which were far more severe than the Trump administration's plans for Europe.

Data released today from the Port of New York and New Jersey shows a total of 774,698 TEU in May, which compares with 716,619 TEU for the Port of Los Angeles and 639,160 TEU for the Port of Long Beach. Californians, however, argue the two SoCal ports should be calculated as one entity for the full picture on imports.

The East Coast port commented that its May performance shows “strong resilience through its diversified supply lines despite tariff-related uncertainties across the supply chain.”

The volume in the Port of New York and New Jersey was up three percent of April 2025 but it was down two percent from May 2024 when the port notes it was absorbing additional cargo volume due to the closure at the Port of Baltimore due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge struck by the containership Dali. Compared to pre-pandemic, New York and New Jersey note volumes are up 20 percent versus May 2019.

East Coast ports are showing a strong May this year despite the uncertainty of tariff policies. Savannah, Georgia, also recorded its second-busiest May, handling 500,900 TEU. Georgia Ports noted that it was the third month in a row that the port was over half a million containers.

West Coast ports, by contrast, were calling for a comprehensive trade policy, saying that May was strongly impacted by the Trump trade policy and tariffs. The Port of Los Angeles said May 2025 was the first decline after 10 months of year-over-year growth. Los Angeles volume was off five percent year-over-year, while Long Beach recorded a more than eight percent decline in volumes for May 2025.

Both ports were confident that they would see a rebound in volumes first with the temporary agreement between the U.S. and China, and now, today, June 27, both countries confirmed the first terms of a trade framework. China said it would involve rare earth minerals and a relaxation of restrictions on technology. The White House confirmed the agreement saying it was a further step in the previous agreement for the framework reached in Geneva and called the new agreement a further “de-escalation” of trade tensions. 

A further easing would be good news for the West Coast ports, which are the primary gateway for Chinese goods. Port officials are hopeful that it was a temporary situation noting that for the first five months of 2025, the two California ports remain the leaders in the U.S. Each handled approximately 4 million TEU in five months compared to just over 3.7 million in the Port of New York and New Jersey so far in 2025.

New York and New Jersey’s volume this year increased 6.5 percent over 2024 and is more than 22 percent ahead of the first five months of 2019. Los Angeles, by comparison, was up 4 percent so far in 2025, while the Port of Long Beach had the strongest start to the year up more than 17 percent in the first five months.