Containerized cargo throughput figures released last week suggest that Southern California ports will remain the leading gateways for Asian imports. That’s good news for U.S. exporters as well, signaling a trend of providing much needed “empties” for outbound shipments.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported a surge of 18.3 percent in May. Furthermore, noted port spokesmen, there was a 12.5 percent year-over-year gain in imports measured in 20-foot-equivalents (TEUs), at the Port of LA and a 26.8 percent leap at neighboring Long Beach.
While economists weigh the value of other metrics, it is heartening to know that the accelerating growth gave the ports their strongest month in almost two years.