By Mark Edward Nero
There was good news and bad news for the Port of Oakland in June 2015, as containerized import volume increased in June for the fourth straight month at the port, while exports and overall volumes were down.
The port said July 14 that it handled the equivalent of 75,780 loaded 20-foot import containers last month, an increase of 2.61 percent from June 2014. Oakland import volume has exceeded the previous year’s total in every month since March.
However, export volume declined 7.56 percent in June from the previous year’s total, according to port data.
Overall volume in Oakland – including loaded and empty containers – declined one percent in June compared to the same month last year, the port reported.
The port shipped the equivalent of 50,000 empty 20-foot containers back to their origin points last month, which was a decline of about 4,300 empties from May 2015 totals.
It’s an indication, according to the port, that containers are beginning to balance globally after bunching at US ports last winter.
For the calendar year to date, Oakland has moved just more than 1 million 20-foot equivalent units, a 7.6 increase from the same six months in calendar year 2014.
Current and historical data regarding the Port of Oakland’s container volumes can be seen at http://www.portofoakland.com/maritime/containerstats.aspx
