Cargo activity at the Port of Long Beach showed steady growth in imports and exports last month, as containerized cargo volume climbed 7.6 percent in July compared to the same month one year ago, with both imports and exports showing solid increases.
A total of 562,166 TEUs moved through Long Beach terminals in July, according to port data. Imports increased 12.9 percent to 294,926 TEUs. Exports were up 6.2 percent to 132,290 TEUs.
The one negative the port experienced was in empty containers moved: Long Beach’s volume was down 1.3 percent to 134,950 TEUs in July compared to 136,679 containers the same month last year.
For the first seven months of calendar year 2013, 13.2 percent more cargo moved through Long Beach compared to the same period in 2012, including 15.7 percent more imports, 9.5 percent more exports and 12 percent more empties, according to port data.
Long Beach attributes the increases are in part to the larger ships calling at the port more frequently and the addition of service lines starting in the last half of 2012.
The latest monthly cargo numbers for the Port of Long Beach can be seen at polb.com/economics/stats/latest_teus.asp, and more details on the cargo numbers are available at www.polb.com/stats.
