LONDON: The Port of Oakland, Calif., reported record container volumes in July, driven by a surge in empty containers on both the export and import side. Dockworkers handled nearly 30% more empty containers—48,521 20-foot equivalent units for export and 17,017 import TEUs—in July. Empty containers are usually moved, in anticipation of trade growth, to places where they’re expected to be filled with goods before shipping back. “With holiday shipments set to commence, this could be the start of something good,” said the port’s maritime director, John Driscoll.
While August has been a peak month for trade at Oakland and other West Coast ports in recent years, some industry groups have predicted a lull during the usual peak this year. The most recent Global Port Tracker report, released monthly by NRF and research firm Hackett Associates, estimated import cargo across the nation’s major ports would be up 1.4% year-over-year in July, then down 2% in August and down again 2.6% in September.
Oakland is a major hub for U.S. agricultural exports other shipments destined for Asian markets. Over the past year, exports have lagged behind nationwide as the dollar gained strength, making U.S. goods more expensive to overseas customers. But the dollar has lost some ground recently, and Oakland has reported a slight resurgence in export volumes. Port officials are hoping the trend will continue.
July saw a higher number of loaded export and import containers moving through the Port of Oakland. On the export side, the port handled 77,573 TEUs, which was up 3.6% from last July. Dockworkers handled 1% more loaded import containers, a total of 80,508 TEUs, compared with the same month last year. Oakland, the nation’s eighth-largest container port, was the first major U.S. port to report July cargo volumes. Officials said July was the port’s busiest month in 10 years. During the month of July, the port received 153 visits from container ships, up from 136 during the same period in 2015.
