By Karen Robes Meeks
Cargo volumes rose 12.7 percent at the Port of Los Angeles in March when compared to the same period last year, according to statistics released Thursday.
The nation’s busiest seaport handled 650,977 TEUs, wrapping up a solid first quarter in which Los Angeles saw 4.6 percent more volume.
The port also handled 12.4 percent more imported cargo compared to the previous year, with 297,187 TEUs. Export felt 2.9 percent to 158,924 TEUs.
“Despite global trade uncertainties, we experienced strong first quarter growth,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “I commend our supply chain stakeholders who have processed record amounts of cargo in recent months and we anticipate greater efficiency improvement with the Port Optimizer™ that was rolled out in the first quarter. Retailers are forecasting an uptick in summer consumer demand and we are ready for those boxes.”
