Mixed April growth figures for L.A., Long Beach

Mixed April growth figures for L.A., Long Beach    The port of Los Angeles reported Wednesday another set of weak monthly traffic figures for April, with the number of containers crossing its docks rising just 3 percent to about 637,000 TEUs.
   Overall box traffic for the southern Californian ports is mixed, though, as the port of Long Beach already said its container traffic increased 22 percent to about 539,000 TEUs in April, continuing its more rapid growth than Los Angeles. The combined traffic of the two ports rose 11 percent to 1.2 million TEUs in April.
   Total loaded inbound and outbound containers — two key indicators of the health of the transpacific container trade — also provide a mixed picture. Loaded inbound boxes at Los Angeles and Long Beach increased 6 percent to about 600,000 TEUs in April, with all the additional inbound traffic going to Long Beach. Loaded outbound container traffic at the two ports totaled about 215,000 TEUs, up 18 percent, with both ports benefiting from the recovery of the westbound transpacific trade.
   While the Pacific Maritime Association has forecast that U.S. West Coast ports will handle 14 percent more cargo this year, container traffic figures from Los Angeles and Long Beach show much lower growth in container volumes so far this year. However, the early figures for this year do not include the peak season and may not reflect the overall trend for this year.