The Port of New York and New Jersey is one of the most heavily used transportation arteries in the world, handling nearly 40 percent of the North Atlantic shipping trade and directly providing nearly 230,000 jobs to the local economy. In 2004, 100 billion dollars worth of consumer goods moved through the port. To accommodate future cargo volumes in the port, which are expected to double over the next decade and possibly quadruple in 40 years, deeper shipping channels are needed to provide access for a new generation of cargo mega-ships with drafts exceeding 13.7-m (45-ft) when loaded. Current channels within the harbor range in depths up to 13.7-m (45-ft), thus preventing carriers from using these larger ships, or requiring significant reductions in cargo to achieve lesser drafts to operate safely within the harbor.
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