And so far, the mounting Asian trade has been largely a one-way affair. After unloading 1,120 containers from the Glory, the longshoremen reloaded the ship for the return trip. Of 667 containers to be sent back, 419 were empty, being returned to Asia to carry more goods back to the United States. Of the rest, most were stuffed with two of New York's biggest exports: wastepaper and scrap metal. This is just one manifestation of the enormous trade imbalance between China and the United States. Howland Hook itself, where the Glory landed, used to be home to a sprawling Ivory Soap manufacturing plant. What remained of the factory has been leveled to create what in effect is a giant import depot.

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