The Port of Los Angeles reports it has closed its 12-month fiscal year with total cargo volumes of 9.2 million twenty-foot units (TEUs), a new annual record for most container throughput for a Western Hemisphere port. Volumes increased 8.1 percent in June compared to the same period last year, marking the second busiest June in the port’s 110-year history.
“As we mark the midpoint of 2017, we are grateful to our terminal operators, shipping lines, labor force and land-side supply chain stakeholders for their focus on teamwork and efficiency, because they are the reason why we attained recordbreaking volumes these past 12 months,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “Despite unprecedented change in our industry, we are demonstrating the LA Advantage in terms of world-class infrastructure, competitive pricing and extraordinary customer service.”
June loaded imports increased 4.7 percent to 372,272 TEUs. Loaded exports rose 3.5 percent to 145,527 TEUs. Along with an 18.6 percent rise in empty containers, overall June container volumes were 731,032 TEUs. Previously, the strongest June in Port history was 2014, when 736,439 TEUs moved through the port’s terminals.
Through June, total 2017 cargo volumes are 4,482,548 TEUs, an increase of 8.4 percent compared to the same period in 2016.
The 12-month period for the 9,205,755 TEU record corresponds with the port’s July, 2016 through June 30, 2017 fiscal year, and the port is on track to end the 2017 calendar year exceeding last year’s record volumes. In 2006, Los Angeles was the first port to surpass an annual throughput of 8 million TEUs, a decade-long record that was broken with CY 2016 volumes of 8.8 million.