Port of New York & New Jersey Welcomes Largest Container Ship to Call on U.S. East Coast
On Saturday, Sept. 12, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will welcome the CMA CGM Brazil, a new ultra-large container vessel with a maximum capacity of 15,072 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), to the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal (EPAMT) as the largest container ship ever to call at any U.S. East Coast port.
The arrival of the CMA CGM Brazil, which is calling at ports in North America after a transatlantic voyage from the Port of Colombo via the Suez Canal, highlights the benefits of the Port Authority’s significant investment in critical port infrastructure and the far-reaching effects it has on the broader region and its economy. The raising of the Bayonne Bridge to a navigational clearance of 215 feet and the deepening of the navigational channels to 50 feet allow some of the world’s largest and newer, more environmentally friendly cargo vessels to serve terminals in Port Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne and Staten Island. Prior to the bridge project’s completion in 2017, the previous height clearance of 151 feet limited access to vessels with a maximum capacity of 9,800 TEUs.
The Port of New York and New Jersey will be the CMA CGM Brazil’s first port of call in the U.S., due to arrive at the APM Terminal in EPAMT with cargo that includes fall and winter clothing, pharmaceuticals, furniture, toys, holiday decorations and food due for distribution to retailers throughout the region and beyond.