NEW YORK: US containerized imports in March rocketed to the highest level in six years, reflecting increased consumer appetite and the decongesting of West Coast ports.
Inbound volume jumped 22 percent year-over-year to 1,800,000 TEUs last month, a level of activity not seen since before the depths of the global recession. West Coast ports saw the biggest jump in traffic, with volume rising 11 percent from February and down 6 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Volume through East Coast ports in February rose 4 percent from the prior month and 9 percent on a year-over-year basis.
The Port of Savannah experienced the largest year-over-year import volume gains, with volume rocketing 26 percent to 367,798 twenty-foot equivalent units. Import traffic through Long Beach increased 24 percent to 777,550 TEUs in the same period, while inbound volume at the Port of New York and New Jersey surged 8 percent to 720,584 TEUs. The Port of Los Angeles, the busiest import gateway in the Americas, however, saw import traffic fall 8 percent year-over-year. But the port’s inbound traffic was up 20 percent from February, suggesting strong year-over-year growth ahead.
On a year-over-year basis, Evergreen Line enjoyed the biggest windfall from the rise in US import volume, as its eastbound services saw traffic rocket 48 percent. Hapag-Lloyd had the second biggest bump in the same period, with volume rising 46 percent.
