Port of Long Beach officials said March 15 that recent February cargo numbers were down because of a lull at the Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J.A, in addition to other factors, but the end result was still the second-busiest February in the port’s 108-year history.
“Overall, our volumes have increased and cargo flow has become more consistent as retailers constantly replenish inventory in the e-commerce economy,” said Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach executive director. “Last year set high standards. We had our busiest months and year ever, but we are still expecting modest growth in 2019.”
Long Beach Harbor Commission President Tracy Egoscue said Lunar New Year’s earlier start this year led to shrinking shipments for February, as well.
“We’re preparing for busier months ahead and will work with all of our supply chain partners this year to deliver efficient, fast service for our customers as they adjust to market changes,” she said.
Terminals moved 596,616 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, a 9.8-percent decrease compared to February 2018. Imports dropped 11.5 percent to 302,865 TEUs, while exports declined 19.6 percent, to 105,287 TEUs. Empty TEUs were flat at 188,465, 0.1 percent lower.
Visit polb.com/stats for detailed statistics about the cargo numbers.
