Genoa – From the third position in first place, in an event in some ways historical: the port of New York has become the main airport of the United States. The signs were clear, as the Blue Economy reportage had told a few weeks on the East Coast airport, with interviews with Authority, businesses and operators who work on the docks of New York E in Newark: The duties are impacting on California’s airports and now the bill has arrived. In May on the docks of the East coast they were lively 774.698 Noa number that marks a 20% increase compared to 2019, slightly 2% decrease compared to 2024. But last year New York had benefited from the closure of the Baltimore airport for the impact of a cargo on the city bridge, then collapsed.
In the period January-May 2025, the port has moved over 3.7 million teu, growing by 6.5% compared to 2024 and 22.6% compared to 2019. The port thus exceeded the airports of the west coast: Los Angeles He stopped at 716,619 Teu and Long Beach at 639.160 Teu, both down due to the effect of the new commercial duties imposed by Trump on Chinese goods. In particular, Los Angeles recorded a flex of 5%, while Long Beach lost more than 8% compared to May 2024.
«We have already seen an increase in goods from Europe and Southeast Asia, such as India and Vietnam – he explains Bethann RooneyPort Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – we do not foresee a surge, but strong and constant volumes ». Therefore it is not a flame of exceptionally to the crisis, but a deeper change of commercial flows: «Looking at the individual European and Mediterranean countries, if they are analyzed one by one, we notice a growth of about 1% on an annual basis – he always explains Rooney – But as a whole, if we take them all together, we can say that there has been a positive impact ».
This does not mean that the duties will not also have a negative impact on the east coast: “customs tariffs will affect the season, but less than the west coast, because we depend less on China”. To support with certainty that something is changing, it will also be necessary to wait for the results of the next few months: “At the moment there has not been a great change in the routes, but many companies are diversifying the sources of supply”. Europe seems to be one of them. And New York has a direct link with Genova.
