Cargo Numbers Edge Up in Long Beach

Cargo container numbers edged up 2.7 percent last month at the Port of Long Beach, making for the Southern California seaport’s busiest May since 2007 by reaching nearly 600,000 container units.

Terminals handled 599,509 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) overall in May, including 312,439 TEUs of imports, which is a 2.3 percent increase compared to May 2013. Exports were flat with a slight decline of 0.3 percent to 146,702 TEUs. Empty containers rose 7.1 percent to 140,368 TEUs. With imports exceeding exports, empty containers are sent back overseas to be refilled with consumer goods.

While May was the second consecutive month of increasing volume, Long Beach has seen an increase of just 1.3 percent for the first five months of 2014 compared to the same period last year.

Last year, against which 2014 is being compared, was the third-busiest year in port history with a total of 6.73 million TEUs.

With an ongoing $4 billion program to modernize its facilities, the Port of Long Beach continues to invest in long-term, environmentally sustainable growth.

polb.com