This past January, dockworkers handled 657,286 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 0.1 percent decrease compared to the port’s all-time January record set in 2018, touted as the port’s busiest years, according to officials this week.
Imports totaled 323,838 TEUs, down 0.3 percent. Exports slid 2.7 percent to 117,288 TEUs, while the number of empty containers shipped overseas rose 1.6 percent to 216,160 TEUs.
“It’s encouraging to see these healthy volumes to start the year,” said Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach executive director. “As long as the economy is performing well, we expect our container trade to mirror it. Regardless, the port will continue to focus on delivering operational excellence, working with ocean carriers, terminals, truckers, labor, cargo owners and all of our many stakeholders.”
The latest monthly cargo numbers can be found at bit.ly/2BBwzOl. More detailed cargo numbers are at polb.com/stats.
“While it will be a challenge to top last year, when we moved the most cargo in our 108-year history, we do anticipate modest growth in 2019,” said Tracy Egoscue, Long Beach Harbor Commission president. “The commission would like to wish our supply chain partners in Asia a happy Lunar New Year and prosperous months ahead.”
