July’s surging cargo volumes set a record for the Port of Long Beach’s best month its 106-year history, surpassing the previous high mark set in August 2015 for the number of containers moved across its docks.
With total volume of 720,312 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in July, cargo traffic has increased for five consecutive months in Long Beach, and in six of the first seven months of 2017. Volume is up 6.4 percent for the calendar year compared to 2016.
“Given the unprecedented change in the industry, we are pleased to see shippers choosing Long Beach,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum.
Overall, container business in Long Beach was 13.1 percent higher in July compared to the same month a year ago. Imports jumped 16.3 percent to 378,820 TEUs — also setting an all-time record for the Port — as retailers anticipate consumer demand for goods in the coming months. Exports slipped 11.7 percent to 126,098 containers. The recent wave of imports helped push empty containers 27.7 percent higher, to 215,394 TEUs. Empty containers are repositioned overseas.