Container Volumes Fall at PoLB

Cargo traffic at the Port of Long Beach decreased in June compared to the same month in 2018, continuing a yearlong trend.

Last June was the busiest month in the port’s 108-year history and capped the busiest second quarter during the busiest year ever.

“The story we saw develop in 2018 was retailers forwarding goods to beat tariffs,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “For 2019, it seems that the cargo is all here and warehouses are filled. That’s disrupting container movement and the growth we would normally see this time of year.”

A total of 677,167 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were processed at the Port of Long Beach in June, 10% fewer than last year. The performance was still the second-best June for the Port.

Imports shrank 13.7% to 331,617 TEUs last month, while exports were flat at 133,833 TEUs, 1% down. Empties loaded onto ships to fill with goods in Asia decreased 9.1% to 211,718 TEUs.

The Port has moved 3.7 million TEUs during the first half of 2019, 6.7% off last year’s pace. Second quarter throughput was 1.9 million TEUs, 8.7% down.