October Looked Very Good for US Ports
October was a great month at several of the top ports in the United States and a record-breaking one at the biggest port, according to newly released monthly numbers on Nov. 14.
The Port of Los Angeles, the largest in the United States based on container volume per year, reported the busiest month ever at a container port in the Western Hemisphere, according to data from the American Association of Port Authorities. In total, the port handled 814,574 industry-standard 20-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs, eclipsing the previous record of 800,063 in October 2006.
RELATED: Port of Oakland Reports October Exports Highest Since 2013
October loaded container imports increased 16% to 417,311 TEUs and exports jumped 23% to 166,406 TEUs. Along with a 18.3 percent surge in empty containers.
“We applaud our container terminals, labor and all of the stakeholders in our supply chain that drove this record-breaking volume with speed, efficiency and reliability,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It’s encouraging to see that when cargo surges, we have the infrastructure, equipment and human capital to keep the boxes moving.”
RELATED: Port of New York and New Jersey Reports Weaker Imports and Exports in September
Year-to-date, stevedores in Los Angeles processed 7.2 million TEUs, a 5.25% compared to the same period in 2015 and the port is on pace to surpass last year’s 8.2 million container figure before the end of 2016.
The Port of Virginia, which ranks No. 6, reported that it handled 238,567 TEUs, a 2.2% increase compared to October 2015. The number of exported containers dropped 6% to 121,508, but imports jumped 12% to 117,059 to account for the year-over-year gains. It marked the third consecutive month that the Port of Virginia posted year-over-year gains.
“The peak-season cargo is continuing and the volumes are being carried on bigger vessels that are rotating into the Atlantic trade,” said John Reinhart, executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “We are seeing ships in the 10,000-plus TEU range with regularity and larger vessels are on the horizon.”
However, the news was not as positive for trucking companies providing drayage services. While containers being put on rails rose 13% to 48,561 containers, truck volume dropped 2.5% to 82,452 compared to last October. Port officials increased barge service to Richmond Marine Terminal this year, to alleviate truck traffic on the highway, which led to a 52% increase in volume for the month, the port reported.
Year-to-date, the port’s TEU volume is up 1.9% to 2.2 million TEUs, but truck traffic has declined 3.5% to 751,868 container. Containers put on intermodal rail are up 12% to 456,904 containers through October compared to the same ten-month period in 2016. Richmond Marine Terminal volume is up 32 percent to 14,892 containers versus the year prior.
Meanwhile the South Carolina Ports Authority reported the Port of Charleston handled 169,477 TEUs in October, an increase of 2.9% from 164,734 in October 2015. Loaded imports increased 5.8% to 78,341 while exports increased 10% to 66,187. The number of empty containers either imported or exported dropped 19% to 24,949.
“Our incremental container volume increase in October is reflective of a worldwide slowing in container trade, but we are optimistic that growth will resume in both imports and exports as the Southeast economy grows,” said SCPA president Jim Newsome.
Year-to-date, however, the Port of Charleston, which ranks No. 9 in the United States, reported a 1.1% decreased in the number of containers handled, or 1.66 million TEUs, as compared to the same ten-month period in 2015. Port officials hope to close the gap in the final two months of the year after posting a 10% jump in container volume in 2015 versus 2014.
