The year 2013 is turning out to be a good one so far at the
Port of Long Beach when it comes to cargo volumes: overall cargo at the port
rose by 12.5 percent in April 2013, continuing this year’s trend of steadily
increasing activity at the docks.
A total of 519,464 20-foot equivalent container units were
moved during the month, according to newly released data from the port. Full
imports increased 13.5 percent to 264,337 TEUs, while filled exports jumped by
14.5 percent to 137,864 TEUs compared to April 2012.
Additionally, the number of empty containers imported and
exported was up 8.1 percent to 117,263 TEUs, according to the data.
For the first four months of calendar year 2013, Long Beach
has already moved more than two million TEUs, and cargo container volume is up
17.2 percent – including 18.5 percent more imports, 11.8 percent more exports
and 21.5 percent more empties. Long Beach attributes the increases in part to
the larger ships calling at the port more frequently and the addition of
service lines starting in later 2012.
Things are also looking good at the port for the fiscal
year. According to POLB data, the port has seen a TEU increase of 15.3 percent
this fiscal year compared to the same time period during the previous fiscal
year. FY 2013 began last October at the port.
