The Port of Long Beach experienced a nearly 19 percent
increase in the number of loaded containerized imports during December 2012,
which was a main factor in the port’s overall jump in 20-foot equivalent units
handled during the month compared with the same month a year earlier.
A total of 560,120 TEUs made their way through port
terminals last month, a 9.8 percent jump from the 509,957 of December 2011. Of
the total amount, 295,579 were loaded inbound containers, an 18.9 percent jump
from the previous December, according to newly released port data.
The data also reveals that port’s volume of loaded inbound
containers was up about five percent during the month, increasing to 135,561
TEU from December 2011’s 129,243. The one category where there wasn’t a
year-over-year increase was empty containers. Port terminals imported and
exported 128,980 empty TEUs during the month, a 2.4 percent drop from December
2011’s 132,111 units.
For the fiscal year to date, the POLB has seen across the
board increases in volumes compared with the same period the year before.
Loaded inbound, loaded outbound and empty container volumes were up 18.1, 13.6
and 2.5 percent, respectively, during the first three months of the year, which
began Oct. 1.
On the whole, 1.64 million TEUs were shipped during the time
period, a 12.9 percent jump from the 1.45 million that were moved during the
same three months during the prior fiscal year.
