Port of Long Beach posts its busiest month in six years

LONG BEACH, CALIF. USA -- The container yard at the Long Beach Container Terminal in Port of Long Beach (Calif.) FILE PHOTO

By Karen Robes Meeks, Long Beach Press Telegram
Posted: 09/16/13, 5:45 PM PDT | Updated: 5 hrs ago

As retailers prepare for the holiday shopping season, goods movement in August at the Port of Long Beach posted its busiest month in six years, according to figures released Monday.

The Long Beach port moved 630,292 container units in August, a 16 percent spike from the same time a year ago. Imports rose 19.2 percent to 327,817 units, while exports jumped 20.2 percent to 154,118 units. Empty containers shipped overseas to be replenished with goods, went up 5.8 percent to 148,357 units.

The port — which has been seeing bigger ships coming in thanks to two of the world’s largest shippers expanding there — is having its busiest month since October 2007. Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Co. and France-based CMA CGM recently decided to make the Port of Long Beach their West Coast hub.

Meanwhile, cargo movement at the Port of Los Angeles remained even last month, with overall goods flow up 0.4 percent with 709,675 units when compared to August 2012. The flow of imports in Los Angeles dipped 1.41 percent to 355,682 units last month while exports fell by 3.84 percent to 158,484 units. Empties, however, were up 7.96 percent in August. The Los Angeles port’s numbers have been stabilizing after five months of declines after Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM transferred their business from Los Angeles to Long Beach. It’s the second straight month that the nation’s busiest seaport moved more than 700,000 units.

Art Wong, spokesman at the Port of Long Beach, said he is encouraged by the numbers at both ports, which may signal a better than expected recovery.
“It’s a good sign,” he said.
Nationally, retail imports continue to show incremental improvement, although there’s reason to be optimistic, industry watchers said.
“As the economy continues to slowly improve, retailers are stocking up for their most important sales season of the year,” said Jonathan Gold, National Retail Federation vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

“Merchants have been very cautious so far this year, but our forecasts show that they plan to make up for it in the next few months.”
To prepare themselves for the holiday shopping seasons, retailers traditionally begin receiving shipments of goods from August to October.
Contact Karen Robes Meeks at 562-714-2088.

About the Author

Newspaper reporter with more than a decade of experience in journalism. I cover trade and transportation. Reach the author at karen.robes@presstelegram.com
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