Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles reached a year-to-date high in July 2013, with overall volumes totaling 715,640 TEUs, according to newly-released data. The numbers, however, weren’t enough to counter a downward statistical trend at America’s busiest seaport.
Last month’s volume number was a 1.48 percent slide compared to the 726,375 TEUs that moved through the port in July 2012.
Imports edged downward by .30 percent, from 371,859 TEU containers in July 2012 to 370,745 TEUs this July. Exports decreased 4.83 percent, from 165,581 TEUs in July 2012 to 157,585 TEUs last month.
Combined, total loaded imports and exports for July decreased 1.69 percent, from 537,440 TEUs last July to 528,331 TEUs in July 2013. Factoring in empties, which dropped .86 percent year over year, overall July 2013 volumes (715,640 TEUs) dropped 1.48 percent compared to July 2012 (715,640 TEUs).
Through the first seven months of the calendar year, Los Angeles recorded 4.42 million TEUs, a 6.5 percent decline from the 4.73 million units moved during the same timeframe in 2012.
The declines are due in part to French shipping line CMA CGM Group moving a weekly ship call from Los Angeles to the neighboring Port of Long Beach last year. Mediterranean Shipping Co. also jumped from the Port of Los Angeles to the POLB in the second half of 2012.
Current and past data container counts for the Port of LA can be found at:
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp.