Cargo volume has reached an all-time high at the Port of
Oakland, according to newly-released statistics. The port said Jan. 13 that it
handled the equivalent of 2.394 million 20-foot freight containers in 2014. The
amount breaks the record of 2.391 million boxes moved in 2006.
The Port of Oakland said overall container volume – imports
and exports – increased two percent in 2014, while import volume alone for the
year increased nearly 5.3 percent.
According to the port, three factors have contributed to the
cargo surge: stronger US demand for Asian manufactured goods; its own marketing
efforts; and cargo diversions from congested Southern California ports.
A freight backlog at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
has rerouted thousands of containers to Oakland, while a labor dispute between waterfront
employers and dockworkers has magnified the slowdown.
A 20 percent surge in December loaded import containers also
played a big role in the record performance, according to the port.
“An unprecedented series of events has brought us to this
point,” John Driscoll, the port’s maritime director, said. “It’s our job now to
efficiently manage the growth.”
