Friday, March 12, 2021

February Cargo Rises 43% at Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach saw its busiest February in history when the nation’s second busiest seaport handled 771,735 TEUs last month, according to new numbers released Wednesday.

Long Beach moved 43.3 percent more cargo in February than it did the same time a year ago, the largest year-over-year growth in a month on port record. It was also the first time the port surpassed 700,000 TEUs in a February.

Long Beach also moved 373,756 TEUs in imports last month, 50.3 percent more than February 2020, and handled 278,563 TEUs in empty containers, a year-over-year increase of 69.6 percent. Meanwhile, exports last month fell 4.9 percent to 119,416 TEUs.

February is usually a slower month for cargo since factories in east Asia close to commemorate the Lunar New Year, but China stayed open for much of the month to complete back orders and meet growing demand for online purchases, the port said.

“The supply chain workforce is giving its all to keep the cargo moving, even as their ranks are hit by the pandemic. New records are being set, demonstrating how busy they have been,” Port Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a statement. “We understand that shippers are awaiting their cargo, and we are collaborating with our industry partners to deliver shipments as quickly as possible.”