Overall container volumes at the Port of Los Angeles were up
17.3 percent last month compared to November 2012, while Port of Long Beach
volumes increased a relatively modest 2.5 percent during the same period,
according to newly released data.
Imports through Port of LA terminals jumped 18.7 percent, rising
from 288,273 20-foot equivalent containers in November 2012 to 342,247 TEUs
this past November. Exports jumped 23.3 percent, going from 145,344 TEUs in
November 2012 to 179,175 TEUs in November 2013.
LA attributes the sizable increases in part to larger
vessels calling at the port as well as improvement in the U.S. economy.
Combined, total loaded imports and exports for November
increased 20.2 percent at Los Angeles, going from 433,617 TEUs last November to
521,422 TEUs in November 2013. Factoring in empties, which increased 8.7 percent
year over year, the November 2013 overall volumes of 683,849 TEUs were an
increase of 17.3 percent compared to November 2012’s 582,981 TEUs. However,
despite the significant rise last month, during the first 11 months of 2013,
the total container volumes of 7.21 million represented a 3.7 percent decrease
compared to 2012’s 7.48 million TEUs during the same time period.
At the adjoining Port of Long Beach, cargo volumes climbed
2.5 percent in November compared to the same month in 2012.
A total of 569,599 TEUs moved through Long Beach terminals in
November, according to data. Imports increased 6.5 percent to 296,638 TEUs and
exports rose 9.9 percent to 151,950 TEUs – the port’s second best export total
in 2013.
However, a sharp decline in shipments of empty boxes at the
POLB nearly offset solid gains in both imports and exports of containerized
goods. Empties were down a sizable 12.7 percent to 121,011 TEUs. For the first
11 months of calendar 2013, cargo container volume is up 12.1 percent at Long
Beach – including 14.4 percent more imports, 10.8 percent more exports and 8.6
percent more empties.
More details on Long Beach’s past and present cargo numbers
can be found at www.polb.com/stats. Current and past data container counts for
the Port of Los Angeles are online:
