Port of Long Beach’s import volumes surge in March

However, export volumes during the month fell 5.3 percent from March 2016 as shipments to overseas markets experienced headwinds from the strong U.S. dollar.    The Port of Long Beach handled 505,382 TEUs in March, an 8.7 percent increase from March 2016, the port said Wednesday.
   Container imports in March surged 20.2 percent year-over-year to 249,534 TEUs.
   On the flip side, container exports during the month fell 5.3 percent year-over-year to 120,435 TEUs, as shipments to overseas markets experienced headwinds from the strong U.S. dollar, which makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas.
   Meanwhile, empty container volumes slipped 4.2 percent from March 2016 to 135,413 TEUs.
   Looking ahead, Long Beach Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán said, “We see a lot of upside for the remainder of 2017 as we expand our partnership with the world’s second-largest line, Mediterranean Shipping Co., add new business and strengthen our relationships with our partners.”
   Liner services calling the port have also been on the rise, with BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool illustrating how 23 liner services, 17 of which deploy fully cellular containerships, currently call the port. Eight of these services are operated by ocean carrier alliances.
   One month ago, the tool was showing 21 liner services, 15 of which deploy fully cellular containerships, were calling the port.
   Meanwhile, over at the Port of Los Angeles in March, a total of 788,524 TEUs were handled, 29 percent higher from March 2016, with imports rising 30 percent to 373,549 TEUs and exports increasing 20 percent to 191,772 TEUs.