Cargo volume through the Port of New York and New Jersey rose 6.7 percent in the first quarter, continuing a streak of record-setting months, port officials said Tuesday.

The port handled 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first three months of the year and also set a new first-quarter record for cargo handled by rail, port officials said.

During March, the port handled a record 585,083 TEUs, a four percent increase over the previous March record, set in 2018. Port officials said the March 2019 cargo growth was bolstered by a 12-percent increase in export containers compared to last March. The port set a new March record for cargo handled by rail, as well, moving 58,877 containers, up 11 percent compared with the year-ago period.

Officials said the record volume allowed the port to maintain its position as the busiest on the East Coast.