The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex’s total container volume in December was 1.24 million TEUs, increasing 7.6 percent from 1.14 million TEUs in December 2012.
Loaded containers moving through the nation’s largest port complex rose 6.7 percent over the level seen in December 2012, with imports rising 3.6 percent and exports jumping 13.2 percent.
Los Angeles reported its volume in December reached 653,358 TEUs, spiking 11.1 percent compared with the same month the year before, while the Port of Long Beach reported its December container volume was 582,443 TEUs, improving 4.0 percent year-over-year.
The volume gains in December, particularly for Los Angeles, were partially driven by lower than normal container volume in December 2012, when a strike by office clerical workers negatively impacted traffic in the port complex.
December imports at Los Angeles increased 8.6 percent, from 296,874 TEUs in 2012 to 322,501 TEUs in 2013, while imports at Long Beach fell 1.4 percent to 291,434 TEUs. Long Beach imports were up in every other month of 2013 as a result of the moves by CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. from Los Angeles to Long Beach in late 2012 and early 2013, respectively. However, December 2013 was the first full month that Long Beach’s throughput is compared with a full month in 2012 with CMA CGM cargo, implying that the period of high growth for Long Beach is over.
Exports at Los Angeles jumped 16.9 percent, from 147,417 TEUs in 2012 to 172,261 TEUs in 2013, and Long Beach’s exports, which rose 9.3 percent, accounted for 148,150 TEUs. These gains were likely driven by the onset of the peak export season in the westbound Pacific, which is particularly tied to U.S. agricultural harvests, climbing in late fall and hitting a peak in March. U.S. exports are also getting a boost from the improving economies of Europe and especially China.
Total loaded containers for Los Angeles in December improved 11.4 percent to 494,762 TEUs, from 444,291 TEUs in December 2012. However, for the full year of 2013, total container volume at Los Angeles was 7.89 million TEUs, down 2.6 percent compared with the same period in the previous year.
Furthermore, total loaded containers for Long Beach improved 2.0 percent versus December 2012, reaching 439,584 TEUs. The volume of empty containers increased 10.8 percent to 142,859 TEUs. For the full year of 2013, container volume improved 11.3 percent year-over-year to 6.7 million TEUs, the port’s third busiest year ever behind 2006 and 2007 levels. Imports were up 12.8 percent, exports rose 10.7 percent and empties increased 8.8 percent.
Overall, U.S. West Coast ports are facing challenges in 2014, including labor instability, productivity challenges, emerging competitive threats and growing volumes to the U.S. East Coast via the Suez Canal.
Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach: Year-Over-Year Percent Change of TEU Throughput.
The Journal of Commerce
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