Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach have mixed results in March

Following a strong February, March volumes at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach were mixed.

POLB imports, which are primarily comprised of consumer goods, hit 191,211 (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) in March, which was down 7.5 percent annually. It was also down sequentially when compared to February’s 233,660 TEU and January’s 242,445 TEU. POLB Exports, which are primarily comprised of raw materials, were up 1.0 percent at 131,761 and were up compared to February’s 121,929 TEU and January’s 127,546 TEU.

Total POLB shipments for March—at 412,235 TEU—were down 2.5 percent compared to a year ago.

POLB officials were not available for comment about March volumes at press time.

POLA imports—at 297,023 TEU—were up 10.16 percent annually and ahead of February’s 275,887 TEU and below January’s 338,606 TEU. Exports—at 192,849—were up 19.18 percent, well ahead of February’s 150,357 TEU and January’s 159,050.

“Exports were particularly strong, up 19 percent over last March,” said POLA Director of Communications Phillip Sanfield. “In fact, March was our single biggest export month in Port history, with 192,000 TEUs exported. Many factors go into the rise in exports, including the value of the dollar. We’ve been focusing on our international trade program to reach out to exporters around Southern California, helping them learn to navigate the export business.”

Total POLA shipments for March—at 600,796 TEU—were up 9.91 percent year-over-year.

Last month, Sanfield said there were questions, regarding how the next few months will play out in terms of volume growth, given how oil and gas prices could impact consumer spending and how the Japan earthquake may impact global trade. He noted that single-digit growth in the coming months would be solid, given the strong beginning to the year to date.

“Overall, we are seeing the effects of a new terminal, California United Terminals, which started operating here at the Port of Los Angeles late last year (It moved over from Port of Long Beach),” said Sanfield. “We think these strong numbers are representative of the infrastructure improvements we’ve been making here in recent years. Those improvements are paying off in terms of more cargo, increased efficiency and responsible growth.”

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