The Port of Los Angeles has released its September 2013 cargo volumes and the good news is that the overall volume of containers – 710,892 TEUs – exceeded 700,000 TEUs for the third straight month.
The bad news, however, is that volumes dropped 4.57 percent
compared to September 2012.
According to newly released POLA data, imports declined by
3.75 percent at the port last month compared to the same month in 2012, going from
385,250 TEUs in September 2012 to 370,785 TEUs this September.
Also, exports dropped 12.79 percent last month, going from
172,432 TEUs in September 2012 to 150,380 TEUs in September 2013.
Combined, total loaded imports and exports for the month
were down 6.55 percent, from 557,683 TEUs last September to 521,165 TEUs in
September 2013. The one bright spot last month was in the volume of empty
containers moved: the number was 189,726 TEUs, a 1.3 percent increase over
September 2012’s 187,240 TEUs.
Factoring in empties, which increased 1.33 percent year over
year, overall September 2013 volumes of 710,892 TEUs was a 4.57 percent decline
compared to September 2012’s 744,923 TEUs.
For the calendar year to date, LA terminals have moved
341,000 TEUs fewer than during the same nine months last year, according to
port data, a drop of 5.5 percent. For the fiscal year, which began July 1, the
total volume is down almost 41,800 TEUs, or just under two percent. Despite the
declines however, the Port of LA remains the busiest seaport in the United
States.
Current and past data container counts for the Port of Los
Angeles may be found at:
