POLB records busiest May in port history

Last month’s total container throughput of 648,287 TEUs at the Port of Long Beach was the highest of any May in the 106-year history of the Southern California seaport.

   A total of 648,287 TEUs moved through the Port of Long Beach in May, an increase of 1.2 percent compared to the same month a year ago and the highest total for the month in the port’s history, according to recent data from the port authority.
   Last month, Long Beach dockworkers handled 336,594 loaded import TEUs, a 1.8 percent increase from May 2016. And even though loaded export containers were down 14.3 percent year-over-year to 118,786 TEUs, the number of empty containers moving through the docks rose 12.6 percent to 192,908 TEUs.
   Overall, it was Long Beach’s best individual month since September 2015.
   “Last May was a great month, so we’re encouraged that we did even better this year,” recently installed POLB Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a statement. “Our strong belief is that if we continue to build the most modern facilities of any port in the United States and provide the best service, the customers will come.”
   New vessel-sharing alliances and increased use of terminals have helped pushed the number of containers flowing through the port to the record high for the month, according to POLB officials.
   “The new alliances are making more efficient use of our terminals with their deployments,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán said. “Beyond that, the strong U.S. dollar is growing our imports, but not helping our exports. Still, we’re in line with our projections for the year, and the port is in a strong position as we head into the peak season.”
   For the calendar year to date, cargo traffic has risen 4.1 percent in Long Beach to 2.79 million TEUs, according to port data. For the fiscal year however, the figures are down across the board. The number of loaded inbound containers was down 0.4 percent, while loaded outbound units were down 2.4 percent and empties fell 2.2 percent, data shows. The Port of Long Beach began its FY 2017 in October 2016.