Port of Long Beach sees January cargo jump

Cargo volumes at the Port of Long Beach surged in January with 17.5% more containers overall ― including a 19.5% jump in imports and an 8.2% rise in exports ― compared to the same month last year.

Port terminals in January moved 536,263 TEU. There were 273,918 TEU of imports, the highest volume of import containers for a January since 2007. Exports rose to 126,714 TEU.

Empties were up 23.1% to 135,631 TEU. With imports exceeding exports, empty containers are sent overseas to be refilled with goods.

The weeks preceding the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, usually see a rise in cargo traffic in the trans-Pacific trade. Retailers stock up on merchandise before factories in China and throughout Asia close down for the holiday. The Lunar New Year began Feb. 10.

The Port of Long Beach is “Big Ship Ready,” and the cargo increases in recent months are in part due to the more frequent use of larger ships and the addition of service lines to Long Beach. Last year, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM, two of the largest ocean carriers in the world, established exclusive hubs at the Port.

The Port is continuing to prepare for growth by investing $4.5 billion in capital improvement projects this decade. < Korea Shipping Gazette >