Containerized imports through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in September showed a strong double-digit increase over the same month last year, but the numbers were down compared to the August volumes this year.
Imports in Los Angeles were up 20.8 percent compared to September 2009. Long Beach’s imports increased 28.4 percent from last September.
Los Angeles’ imports in September totaled 373,249 TEUs, compared to 399,150 TEUs in August. In Long Beach, imports totaled 288,905 TEUs compared to 311,240 TEUs in August.
September and October are usually the two busiest months of the year for U.S. container ports. This year it appears that importers shipped some of their holiday merchandise early because of vessel capacity and equipment shortages, so August may end up being the peak month of the year.
Exports in Long Beach were up 13.4 percent in September over the same month last year. Exports in Los Angeles were down less than 1 percent.
Traditionally in the trans-Pacific trade, containerized exports are strongest in the period from the fourth quarter of the year through the first quarter of the following year, tied largely to the agricultural export season.
Movements of empty containers were once again quite large, with empties up 48 percent in Los Angeles and 52.6 percent in Long Beach compared to September 2009. Asia has experienced a container shortage much of the year, so shipping lines have been repositioning huge numbers of empties back to Asia each month.
Total volumes, including both loaded and empty containers, increased 30.5 percent in Long Beach and 21.9 percent in Los Angeles compared to September 2009.
Imports in Los Angeles were up 20.8 percent compared to September 2009. Long Beach’s imports increased 28.4 percent from last September.
Los Angeles’ imports in September totaled 373,249 TEUs, compared to 399,150 TEUs in August. In Long Beach, imports totaled 288,905 TEUs compared to 311,240 TEUs in August.
September and October are usually the two busiest months of the year for U.S. container ports. This year it appears that importers shipped some of their holiday merchandise early because of vessel capacity and equipment shortages, so August may end up being the peak month of the year.
Exports in Long Beach were up 13.4 percent in September over the same month last year. Exports in Los Angeles were down less than 1 percent.
Traditionally in the trans-Pacific trade, containerized exports are strongest in the period from the fourth quarter of the year through the first quarter of the following year, tied largely to the agricultural export season.
Movements of empty containers were once again quite large, with empties up 48 percent in Los Angeles and 52.6 percent in Long Beach compared to September 2009. Asia has experienced a container shortage much of the year, so shipping lines have been repositioning huge numbers of empties back to Asia each month.
Total volumes, including both loaded and empty containers, increased 30.5 percent in Long Beach and 21.9 percent in Los Angeles compared to September 2009.