Port of LA sets new annual record for container volumes

Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles handled more than 9.2 million TEUs during the fiscal year that ended June 30, a rise of 9.7 percent from the 8.39 million TEUs that came through the Southern California port during FY 2016.    The Port of Los Angeles closed its 12-month fiscal year by setting a new annual record for most container throughput for a Western Hemisphere port, according to port data.
   Los Angeles terminals handled a total of 9,205,755 TEUs during the fiscal year that ended June 30, a rise of 9.7 percent from the 8.39 million TEUs that came through the port during FY 2016.
   Additionally, Port of LA volumes rose 8.1 percent month-over-month in June, marking the second busiest June in the Southern California port’s 110-year history.
   Loaded imports at LA terminals in June increased 4.7 percent to 372,272 TEUs from the same month a year ago, while loaded exports rose 3.5 percent to 145,527 TEUs. Along with an 18.6 percent rise in empty containers, overall June container volumes totaled 731,032 TEUs. Previously, the strongest June in port history was in 2014, when 736,439 TEUs moved through LA terminals, according to data.
   Through June, total 2017 calendar year cargo volumes stood at 4.48 million TEUs, an increase of 8.4 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2016.
   “As we mark the mid-point of 2017, we are grateful to our terminal operators, shipping lines, labor force and land-side supply chain stakeholders for their focus on teamwork and efficiency, because they are the reason why we attained record-breaking volumes these past 12 months,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement.
   With six months of data still to come for 2017, the Port of LA has also indicated that it’s on track to exceed the previous calendar year’s record volumes of 8.8 million TEUs.