Southern California Cargo Volume Jumps 6% in May; L.A. Sets Record
Stronger import shipments through Southern California ports last month produced an overall 6% increase in cargo volume, including the busiest May ever for container shipments at the Port of Los Angeles.
A 15% jump in imports through Los Angeles, the nation’s largest container port, boosted total shipments handled by 7.3%. Neighboring No. 2 Long Beach posted a 0.8% increase, including a 1% rise in imports, to record its second-busiest May on record.
Los Angeles shipments, measured in industry-standard 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, reached 770,409. The export total rose 6.3%, and empty containers were 7.1% higher. Long Beach’s total of 640,566 TEUs also included 2% higher export shipments.
“The strong growth both on the import and export side is encouraging as we continue to explore ways to improve supply chain efficiencies,” said Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “The unwavering efforts of our supply chain partners, including organized labor, has had a significant impact on our success.”
Shipment totals through both ports this year have been distorted in comparison to 2015 due to last year’s sharp reduction in cargo volumes due to slowdowns linked to labor contract talks.
“The port’s numbers are in line with trends observed by the National Retail Federation, which reports that inventories remain high for U.S. stores and warehouses, muting demand for oceangoing trade,” according to the Port of Long Beach. “As noted by the NRF, the year-over-year comparisons to 2015 are difficult to make, given the unusual patterns last year.”
The previous May record at Los Angeles was set in 2012, with 731,352 TEUs.
Over the first five months of 2016, Los Angeles cargo has totaled 3.46 million TEUs, up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. At Long Beach, cargo over the same period fell 1.5% to 2.68 million TEUs.
