Exports at the Port of Los Angeles last month grew by 9.5 percent compared to February 2011, making it the 21st consecutive month of export growth at the port, according to data released this week.
The port exported 164,725 full twenty-foot equivalent containers last month, compared to 150,357 TEUs in February 2011. This was the only category, however, in which the port saw year-over-year gains.
Imports decreased 7.8 percent during the month to 254,359 TEUs, compared to 275,886 TEUs during the same month in 2011. Total loaded imports and exports for February declined a combined 1.7 percent, from 426,243 TEUs last February to 419,084 TEUs last month.
Factoring in empties, which declined 17 percent year over year, the overall February 2012 volume of 525,653 TEUs represented a drop of 5.3 percent compared to February 2011’s 554,912 TEUs.
The port attributes the declines in part to plant shutdowns in China for the Chinese New Year, which fell on Jan. 23.
For the port’s fiscal year to date, which began July 1, total volume is up 0.26 percent from the same period in fiscal year 2011, rising by just over 14,000 containers to 5.39 million TEUs from 5.38 million.
For the calendar year to date, the PoLB’s TEU volume was up 0.74 percent the first two months of this year compared to 2011. The port saw an increase of 14,000 containers, going from 1.21 million TEUs last year to 1.22 million this year.
