Port terminals handled 461,600 twenty-foot equivalent container units last month, compared to 412,250 TEUs in March 2011.
After a drop last month, partly attributed to Chinese New Year, cargo bounced back in March in the month-to-month comparison. For the calendar year, container volumes at the Port are down slightly, by 2.9 percent, compared to the first three months of 2011. Analysts expect modest growth in trade volume for 2012.
For March, import containers accounted for 226,150 TEUs compared to 191,200 TEUs in the same period last year. Export containers hit 144,850 TEUs compared to 131,750 TEUs in March 2011. Empty container moves were flat, up by 1.5 percent to 90,600 TEUs compared to 89,250 TEUs a year ago. Since imports exceed exports, empty containers are sent overseas to be refilled with goods.