By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of Long Beach posted its best September in history last month, handling 706,956 TEUs of cargo, according to the port’s latest numbers released Wednesday.
That represents an increase of 0.8% compared to September 2018.
Imports dipped 0.7% to 354,919 TEUs, exports increased by 1.4% to 123,215 TEUs and empty containers were up 2.9% to 228,822 TEUs.
“We saw increased ship calls in September,” said Port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “We’re ready to provide high-quality service to all vessels, though we continue to advocate for an end to the cycle of tariffs to give American businesses the certainty they need to thrive. I’d like to thank our terminal operators, the ILWU, ocean carriers, beneficial cargo owners and our many supply chain partners who made this record result possible.”
Pace-wise, the port is trailing a bit. It handled 1,992,728 TEUs in the third quarter of this year, 3.7% less than the 2018 third quarter when the port posted record-breaking numbers.
Still, Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal said the port will “have one of its busiest years ever, despite the challenges related to the trade war.”
“Top-notch customer service is our calling card, and we’ll continue to collaborate with our customers to enhance their ability to move cargo faster and more reliably during these challenging times,” she said.
