The docks were busy last month in Long Beach, lifting the Port to the best September in its 108-year history.
Dockworkers moved 706,956 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, 0.8% more than the same month a year ago. Imports were down 0.7% to 354,919 TEUs, while exports were up 1.4% to 123,215 TEUs. Empty containers moved out of the United States to be reused in the global supply chain rose 2.9% to 228,822 TEUs.
Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal thanked shippers for their continued confidence.
During the third quarter, the Port processed 1,992,728 TEUs. The pace was 3.7% down from third quarter 2018, a year when the Port was well on its way to an annual total of 8.1 million TEUs, an all-time high. Through September, cargo volumes have decreased 5.7%, compared to the first nine months of 2018.