Port of Long Beach container volumes up by 11.3% to 807,704 TEU in August 2021
The peak shipping season started with a roar and lifted the Port of Long Beach to its strongest August on record, according to the company's release.
Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 807,704 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo last month, an 11.3% increase compared to August 2020. Imports were up 11.7% to 407,426 TEUs and exports decreased 5.3% to 119,485 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port rose 19.7% to 280,794 TEUs.
The Port of Long Beach has broken monthly cargo records in 13 of the last 14 months amid a historic surge that started in July 2020.
Cargo moving through the Port was boosted by heightened inventory replacement and the start of the peak shipping season, which traditionally runs from August to October as retailers prepare for the upcoming holiday season.
Although consumer demand softened slightly from a month earlier, overall retail sales in August were roughly 18% above pre-pandemic levels.
The Port has moved 6,346,377 TEUs through the first eight months of 2021, a 29.2% increase from the same period in 2020.
The Port of Long Beach is the nation’s second-busiest seaport. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs.
