Combined containerized imports through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach grew 13 percent in January over the same month a year ago, extending the strong recovery pace at the nation’s largest port complex.
Los Angeles saw its busiest month for loaded container traffic since October, with loaded container volume in January expanding 14.3 percent over January 2010 and loaded exports growing 12.6 percent.
LA also saw a sharp acceleration in the business from December, with inbound volume expanding 13.1 percent from month to month to 338,607 20-foot equivalent units.
Industry observers say many importers have maintained their shipping pace early in the year in part to replenish inventories after a strong fourth quarter and to get goods in place because of this year’s relatively early Lunar New Year holiday in Asia.
Long Beach container volume wasn’t quite as strong. Inbound loaded containers grew 11.3 percent in January over the same month a year ago while exports increased 12.7 percent.
But Long Beach import volume in January also slipped 5.6 percent from December, the third straight month of slowing traffic. The 242,445 loaded TEUs marked the lightest import volume at Long Beach since April.
The Journal of Commerce Online
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