Cargo volume climbed 14.7 percent at the Port of Long Beach
in September compared to the same month in 2012, fueled by double-digit gains
in both imports and exports of containerized goods.
A total of 587,114 TEUs moved through Long Beach last month.
Imports increased 16.2 percent to 307,981 TEUs. Exports rose by 17.2 percent to
134,676 TEUs.
Empty TEUs, which were being sent overseas to be refilled
with goods, were up 9.4 percent year-over-year, to 144,457 units.
For the first nine months of 2013, cargo container volume was
up 13.7 percent, including 16.2 percent more imports, 11.5 percent more exports
and 10.8 percent more empties.
For the year’s third quarter – July through September –
imports are up 16.1 percent compared to third quarter 2012. For the Port of
Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles combined, imports were up 5.7 percent
for the third quarter.
For the Port of Long Beach alone, September was the second
busiest month of 2013 thus far, after August. This is mostly attributed to the
shipping peak season -- August through October – as retailers prepare for a
rise in buying as the end-of-the-year holidays approach.
More details on Long Beach cargo numbers can be found at www.polb.com/stats.
