Port of Oakland loaded container volume declined 7.4% in March from 2019 totals. The Port said the cargo decrease resulted from a coronavirus pandemic that has weakened global trade.
According to the port, March containerized import volume dropped 10.3 percent from March 2019. Export loads were off 5%. The return of empty containers to origins in Asia decreased 23%. Total volume – which combines all three measures – declined 11%.
The worldwide effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 has slowed containerized freight transport as ports up and down the U.S. West Coast reported reduced cargo volume in March. The number of ships calling in Oakland last month declined 10.6% from March 2019, the port said.
The port said it’s fully operational despite a shelter-in-place order mandated by Alameda County. The port and supply chain partners have been declared critical infrastructure in the coronavirus fight.