July POLA and POLB volumes are slightly mixed

July volumes Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) were mixed to varying degrees in kicking off the 2016 Peak Season, according to data recently issued by both ports late last week.

POLA and POLB are the two largest North American ports, and they collectively account for more than 40 percent of U.S. imports. As previously reported, West coast port volumes, especially in first half of 2015, had been uneven, as ports had to work through the backlog caused by the nine-month West Coast port labor dispute between the PMA and ILWU, which reached a resolution in the form of a new contract agreement that was reached in the spring of 2015.

Total July POLA volume at 687,891 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) was down 1.61 percent annually and ahead of June’s 676,006 TEU and below May’s 770,409 TEU, which was the busiest May in the port’s history.  

Loaded POLA imports in July saw an impressive 5 percent annual increase to 368,696 TEU, with loaded exports off 2.87 percent to 132,490 TEU. The port cited the decline in the shipment of empty containers, which were off 11.9 percent to 186,704 TEU, as the main reason for over all volumes being down. 

POLA volumes through July are up 4.75 percent to 4,821,467 TEU.

POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement that as retailers prepare for consumer needs during the holiday season, POLA is encouraged to see import volumes increase.

“We are prepared along with our supply chain stakeholders to handle cargo with speed, efficiency and first-class service as we kick off our traditional busy season,” he said.

And POLA Director of Media Relations Phillip Sanfield told LM that over the past three-to-four years, the port’s over all July volumes have been at 700,000 TEU or slightly higher, which he said is in line with this July basically in line with where things have been in recent years.

“We’re pleased to be holding at 4.75 percent growth year-to-date,” he noted. “We’ve planned for 2016 growth of between 2 and 4 percent so we’re trending slightly higher.
Our August volumes last year (2015) were very high (786,000 TEUs) so we are up against a big number this month. That will be a challenging number to match this year.”

What’s more, last month Sanfield noted that how volumes fare over the second half of 2016 will have much to do with the vessel sharing services. Those services, with the primary ones being G6, Ocean 3 and 2M, can shift at any time, and that is a significant factor looking at potential cargo volumes for the next six months. And he added that with all the sharing services in play, it’s a bit more difficult to forecast than in previous years.

July volumes at POLB saw a 7.7 percent annual decline at 637,091 TEU, which was ahead of May’s 603,339 TEU.

Imports at 313,526 TEU saw a 5.5 percent increase, and exports were off 0.7 percent 142,812 TEU. Empties dropped 15.9 percent gain to 168,671 TEU. On a year-to-date basis through July, total POLB volumes are down 1.9 percent.

Citing continued market uncertainty and still-high inventory levels, POLB officials said that the traditional Peak Season is off to a slow start, as evidenced by various forecasts having been revised downward to reflect softness in cargo volumes.