Container volumes at the Port of Los Angeles dropped a
whopping 22.7 percent this past January compared to the same month last year, according
to newly-released data. January 2015 cargo volumes totaled 529,427 20-foot
equivalent units, compared to 685,549 TEUs in January 2014.
The port has blamed the decrease on a number of factors,
including terminal congestion, protracted contract negotiations and other
supply chain issues that have affected US West Coast ports for months.
Imports dropped 28 percent, from 360,036 TEUs in January
2014 to 259,206 TEUs in January 2015, according to the data, while exports
declined 23 percent, from 161,938 TEUs in January 2014 to 124,365 TEUs in
January 2015.
Combined, total loaded imports and exports fell 26.5
percent, from 521,975 TEUs in January 2014 to 383,571 TEUs in January 2015.
Factoring in empties, which fell 10.8 percent, the overall January 2015 volume
of 529,427 TEUs represented a 22.7 percent decline.
Earlier this month, the adjoining Port of Long Beach
revealed that its monthly cargo volumes were down a total of 18.8 percent last
month compared to January 2014, something it also partially blamed on labor
unrest, an issue that was settled last week with a new five-year contract
between the International Longshore Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime
Association.
“The (cargo) numbers aren’t a surprise to us, and last
week’s announcement of a tentative labor agreement between the (ILWU and PMA)
is a major step forward in terms of getting our cargo volumes back on track,”
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a Feb. 26 statement.
“We’re working with our stakeholders to develop short-term solutions that
resolve our present cargo backlog, in addition to longer-term solutions that
focus on achieving higher levels of operational efficiency –especially in terms
of servicing the larger ships deployed through carrier alliances.”
Current and historical data container counts for the Port of
Los Angeles are available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp
