Port of Long Beach Q2 container traffic rises 8.3% to nearly 1.9 million TEUs

The Port of Long Beach moved enough containers last month to make it the second-best June ever, wrapping up a quarter when cargo volume rose by more than 8 percent. Measured by industry-standard, twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), cargo climbed 9.2 percent in June compared to the same month last year, to 658,727 TEUs. During the year’s second quarter - April through June - volumes increased 8.3 percent, to almost 1.9 million TEUs, the Port of Long Beach press release said.

“Our customers know we work hard to efficiently deliver their cargo,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “It's good to see this evidence of their confidence in our Port — we are committed to providing the absolute best service in the country.”

“These are good results as we move into the busiest trade months of the year,” said Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán. “The U.S. dollar remains strong and retailers are stocking back-to-school merchandise and other goods American consumers are purchasing.”

Through the first half of 2017, container throughput has grown 5.1 percent compared to 2016. Dockworkers have moved almost 3.5 million TEUs this calendar year.

For June, imports grew 7 percent to 335,328 TEUs. Exports declined 7.7 percent, to 118,304 containers. Empty containers rose 26.8 percent, to 205,095 TEUs.