Port of Long Beach sees 35.9% surge in cargo volumes

The record February volumes at the Southern California port reflected orders that were made prior to Lunar New Year lull, according to the Port of Long Beach.    The Port of Long Beach handled 561,412 TEUs in February, more containers than in any prior February in its history, according to a statement from the port.
   While a record for February, the winter months are a traditionally a less busy period for the port and the February record is far below the all time record for most containerized cargo handled in any month. That record was set last August when the port handled 703,652 TEUs.
   Cargo volumes were 35.9 percent higher than in February 2015, when Long Beach and other West Coast ports were suffering from congestion that developed during contentious contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Workers and their employers.
   February volumes were also boosted by the arrival of the 18,000-TEU CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, the largest ship to ever call a U.S. port.
   For February, imports were up 44.7 percent to 295,870 TEUs, while exports increased 11.1 percent to 123,010 TEUs, and empty containers rose 45.5 percent to 142,532 TEUs.
   The port noted that “gains in February are also explained by several other factors.”
   “The strength of the U.S. dollar continues to drive demand for imports, but at the same time slows exports by making them relatively expensive overseas,” it said. “The Lunar New Year holiday began Feb. 8, closing many Chinese businesses for a week or more, so U.S. importers ordered extra products ahead of the lull that will come to the port in early March.”