By Karen Robes Meeks
Overall cargo volumes at the Port of Oakland were down 11 percent last month compared to March 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weaken international trade, according to new numbers released by the port Monday.
The port – which continues to operate amid a shelter-in-place order by Alameda County because it’s deemed critical infrastructure in the battle against COVID-19 – saw March imports fall 10.3 percent, exports go down 5 percent, and empty containers tumbled 23 percent.
The new numbers reflect the trend happening among West Coast ports – many of which are reporting lower cargo volumes – and international efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has slowed cargo movement. In Oakland, the number of ships calling fell 10.6 percent year over year.
