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the Port of New York and New Jersey has been recognized as the busiest seaport in the United States for May 2025, processing an impressive 774,698 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). This figure represents a remarkable 20% increase compared to May 2019, which was before the pandemic hit. However, it is slightly down by about 2% when stacked against the volume from May 2024, a month that saw unusually high numbers due to shipments being rerouted from the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Officials anticipated this small drop, noting that May 2024 had benefited from the diversion of shipments during the temporary closure of Baltimore's port. Nevertheless, the performance of the Port in May 2025 showed a 3% increase in volume compared to April 2025. From January to May of this year, the Port of New York and New Jersey handled a total of 3,729,611 TEUs. This marks a 6.5% increase compared to the same five-month stretch in 2024 and a striking 22.6% rise over the same period in 2019, suggesting solid long-term growth.
When compared to its rivals, the Port of New York and New Jersey outperformed both the Port of Los Angeles, which moved 716,619 TEUs in May, and the Port of Long Beach, which reported 639,160 TEUs. While East Coast ports like New York and Savannah demonstrated strong performance, West Coast ports faced challenges, largely due to intensified US tariffs on Chinese goods. The Port of Savannah, Georgia, celebrated its second-busiest May ever, handling 500,900 TEUs, marking the third consecutive month that Savannah's port surpassed the half-million-container threshold.
On the West Coast, port officials expressed concern regarding business policies and the negative impact of the new tariffs. The Port of Los Angeles experienced its first decline after ten straight months of year-over-year growth, with cargo volumes dropping by 5% compared to May 2024. The Port of Long Beach experienced a more significant decline, with volumes decreasing by over 8%. Despite these setbacks, California port authorities remain optimistic that industry volumes will rebound swiftly.
On June 27, the US and China reached an agreement on preliminary terms of a trade framework. This deal includes easing restrictions on technology and agreements concerning rare earth minerals. US officials indicated that this is an extension of earlier trade discussions held in Geneva and is perceived as a de-escalation of ongoing trade tensions.
Thus far in 2025, Southern California ports continue to lead in total TEUs processed. Both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have each handled around 4 million TEUs from January to May, significantly ahead of the Port of New York and New Jersey's 3.7 million during the same timeframe.
Meanwhile, other segments of the Port Authority's network have also shown robust performance. The PATH commuter rail system recorded its second-busiest month since the pandemic began, with a total of 5.4 million passengers in May 2025. This signifies a 7% increase compared to May 2024 and equals 75% of the ridership from May 2019, prior to the pandemic. PATH's weekday ridership averaged 205,305 passengers, maintaining over 200,000 for the second consecutive month. Weekend numbers were even more impressive, with Saturday ridership averaging 122,040, the second-best May total ever, while Sundays averaged 94,616, the third-highest for the month. Cumulatively, PATH carried 2.41 million passengers from January to May 2025, reflecting a 7% increase over the same period last year and now accounting for 72% of ridership levels from the first five months of 2019.
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