Port of Los Angeles handles 779,903 TEUs in September 2019

The Port of Los Angeles moved 779,903 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in September, a 2.7% decrease compared to 2018’s record-breaking September. After three quarters of 2019, total volumes have increased 4.7% compared to last year, which was the busiest year ever at the Port, the company said in its release.
 
“The ill-advised U.S.-China trade war continues to wreak havoc on American exporters and manufacturers,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “We’ve seen declining exports for 11 consecutive months while our fastest growing market segment is exporting empty containers back to Asia. It’s likely we’ll see softer volumes in the fourth quarter. We must have a negotiated settlement of the trade war as it is beginning to impact the more than 3 million jobs in the U.S. that are tied to this port complex.”
 
September 2019 imports decreased 2.9% to 402,320 TEUs compared to the previous year. Exports decreased 11% to 130,769 TEUs, the 11th consecutive monthly decline of exports. Empty containers increased 2.9% to 246,814 TEUs. Combined, September volumes were 779,903 TEUs.
 
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative, strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $297 billion in trade during 2018. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.