Port of Long Beach container volumes up 11.8% to 829,429 TEUs in September 2023
The Port of Long Beach achieved its busiest September on record, boosted by consumer demand for holiday-related goods, recent ratification of a labor pact between dockworkers and management and an ongoing effort to showcase the business attributes of the Port of Choice.
Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 829,429 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, up 11.8% from the same month last year and surpassing the previous record set in September 2020 by 78,849 TEUs. September also marked the Port’s first monthly year-over-year cargo increase in 14 months.
Imports rose 19.3% to 408,926 TEUs, while exports declined 10.3% to 101,248 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port grew 11.5% to 319,255 TEUs.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association announced a tentative agreement on June 14. Dockworkers of the ILWU ratified the six-year contract on Aug. 31.
The Port has moved 5,822,666 TEUs during the first nine months of 2023, down 20.7% from the same period last year. Cargo volume this year has been on pace with pre-pandemic levels, when the Port of Long Beach moved more than 5.7 million TEUs through September 2019. Additionally, the Port processed 2,089,990 TEUs between July 1 and Sept. 30, down 10.5% from the third quarter of 2022.
The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California. In 2023, industry leaders named it “The Best West Coast Seaport in North America” for the fifth consecutive year. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.2 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.
