Cargo volume through the Port of New York and New Jersey rose 3.6% in September, port officials said Wednesday. 

The port processed 624,961 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, compared to 603,034 TEUs in the year-ago period. Total volume through the port year-to-date is more than 5.6 million TEUs. Officials said import loads rose 3.9%, export loads fell 0.4%, and empty export containers increased 5.7% during the month. 

Rail volume decreased 4.9% during the month but was up 3.2% year-to-date. Fewer autos moved through the port in September as well. Officials cited a 16.7% decrease in automotive volume compared to a year ago, although volume was up 1.8% year-to-date, officials said.