A tale of two California ports

The Port of Long Beach set a record for container volumes in October, while the Port of Oakland reported declining overall volumes, but both ports reported a surprising lack of demand for imports by retailers.    Two California ports had very different Octobers when it comes to total container volumes, with the Port of Long Beach reporting the best October in eight years and the Port of Oakland posting a 6.9 percent decline in volumes when compared to October 2014.
   Although both ports reported declines in imports, Long Beach saw and increase in exports while Oakland did not.
   The Port of Long Beach handled 619,983 TEUs in October, up 6.3 percent compared with the same month last year, according to recent data from the port.
   That made it the best October in eight years, with the gains also coming on the heels of the all-time best quarter in the Port’s 104-year history.
   Strong export growth of 6.5 percent in October buoyed the Port of Long Beach’s overall numbers. The port handled 128,308 TEUs of export containers during the month.
   Imports at Long Beach, on the other hand, were down 0.8 percent to 307,995 TEUs compared to October 2014. The decline “indicated that retailers of clothing, electronics and other consumer goods apparently stocked up early for the rapidly approaching shopping season,” the port said in a statement.
   “We had an early peak in July and August, with much of the inventory for the holiday shopping season coming early. On the export side, we’ve seen increases for the past two months, as shipping lines choose Long Beach for its reliability and service,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup. “Year to date, we’re up more than 5 percent, so 2015 is shaping up to be one of our best years ever.”
   The Port of Oakland handled 192,284 TEUs in October, including imports, exports and empty containers, 6.9 percent fewer than in October 2014.
   Containerized import volumes at the Port of Oakland posted a year-over-year decline in October for the first time since February, falling 3.3 percent to 70,697 TEUs.
   The port also attributed the decrease to lighter-than-usual peak-season activity.
   “Autumn is usually the busy time in container shipping when retailers import goods for holiday store shelves,” the port said. “But ocean carriers are reporting lower demand for space on their ships.”
   Export volumes at Oakland were also down 13.7 percent to 74,293 TEUs.
   Before last month, Oakland had reported seven consecutive months of import gains dating back to last winter.