November cargo volumes jump 7% at Port of Los Angeles

Monthly volumes at the Southern California port have exceeded 700,000 TEUs for the past six months, and the port is currently preparing for the arrival of the largest containership ever to call a U.S. port.    The Port of Los Angeles handled a total of 709,968 TEUs in November 2015, an increase of 7 percent compared to the same period last year.
   Imports improved 7.6 percent to 358,423 TEUs in November compared to the previous year. Exports dropped 5.7 percent to 142,020 TEUs in November. Factoring in empties, which increased 16.5 percent, overall November volumes increased 7 percent from last year.
   “We’ve seen container volumes at and above 700,000 TEUs for the past six months, which demonstrates consistency and the strength of our supply chain partners,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.
   Seroka said CMA CGM’s plan to have its 18,000-TEU ship Benjamin Franklin call the port later this month shows the confidence the French carrier has instilled in the Port of Los Angeles.
   The ship, the largest containership ever to call a U.S. port, is scheduled to call Dec. 26 at the APM Terminals Pier 400 facility, where earlier this year Seroka said workers “efficiently processed three 13,000-TEU ships concurrently producing more than 38,000 container moves over an 8-day period.”
   “The arrival of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin signals a new chapter in Pacific Rim trade flow and supply chain optimization,” he added.