Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Cargo Volumes Slip at POLA

By Mark Edward Nero

Overall cargo volumes slipped 1.6 percent at the Port of Los Angeles in July 2016, falling from 699,000 TEUs a year ago to under 688,000 last month, according to data released by the port Aug. 12.

The slide, the port has stated, is mostly due to a decline in the shipment of empty containers.

The news wasn’t all bad, however. July 2016 imports at the Port of Los Angeles climbed five percent compared to the previous year. And for the first seven months of 2016, year-to-date volumes have increased 4.75 percent compared to 2015.

“As retailers prepare for consumer needs during the holiday season, we’re encouraged to see import volumes increase,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement. “We are prepared along with our supply chain stakeholders to handle cargo with speed, efficiency and first-class service as we kick off our traditional busy season.”

Last month, loaded imports increased 5.15 percent to 368,696 TEUs compared to last July.

However, loaded exports dropped 2.87 percent to 132,490 TEUs. Combined, total loaded volumes grew 2.9 percent to 501,186 TEUs.

With a decrease in empty containers of 11.9 percent, overall July volumes were 687,891 TEUs, a decrease of 1.6 percent compared to June 2015.

Year to date, overall cargo volumes have increased 4.75 percent at the Port of LA, rising to 4,821,467 TEUs.

Current and past data container counts for the Port of Los Angeles are available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp.