LONG BEACH: Following July, which saw mixed results, August volumes at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) were on the same page, with the two largest North American ports, which collectively account for more than 40 percent of U.S. imports, posting annual gains.
As previously reported, West coast port volumes, especially in first half of the year, had been uneven, as ports had to work through the backlog caused by the nine-month West Coast port labor dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, which reached a resolution in the form of a new contract agreement that was reached earlier this year.
Total POLA August volumes saw a 3.8 percent annual gain at 786,677 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which also outpaced July’s 699,127 TEU. This marks the port’s best August since the 790,726 TEU recorded in 2006.
POLA imports, which are primarily comprised of consumer goods, increased 6.3 percent to 383,551 TEU, with exports off 14 percent at 143,936 TEU. Empties saw a 14 percent gain at 234,927 TEU. Through the first eight months of 2015, total POLA volumes are down 2.5 percent at 5,389,316 TEU.
“The numbers are strong indicators that our terminal operators, longshore labor and supply chain partners are adjusting to the new industry dynamics of carrier alliances, deploying larger ships and delivering higher container volumes per call,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka in a statement. “Our San Pedro Bay supply chain optimization working groups, overseen by the Federal Maritime Commission, are providing valuable insights that contribute to our mission to improve cargo-flow efficiency and velocity.”
And POLA Director of Media Relations told LM that August’s numbers are among the top five for the month in the port’s history.
