Port of L.A. box volumes decline in September

Container throughput continued to fall last month in what has been a difficult year for the Southern California port, but it should be noted the comparison is against a robust 2014.    The Port of Los Angeles container volumes for September drop 5.8 percent to 730,306 TEUs compared to last year, and the results are even worse if empty boxes are excluded.
   Loaded import containers fell 9.4 percent to 383,963 TEUs and exports declined 17.5 percent to 124,286 TEUs. Empties increased 9.4 percent, according to monthly statistics released by the port authority on Thursday.
   The port enjoyed one of its strongest months ever in September, 2014, with 775,000 TEUs crossing its terminals.
   Through the first three quarters, Los Angeles’ volume has shrunk 2.9 percent to 6.12 million TEUs. The port lost some business to East Coast and Gulf counterparts over the past year when congestion peaked due to a West Coast labor slowdown last winter.
   But the neighboring Port of Long Beach faced the same challenges, and has seen its year-to-date throughput grow by 5.2 percent to 5.36 million TEUs. Last month, volumes grew 4.1 percent on the strength of a 14 percent gain in empty container movements and a 6.1 percent increase in loaded export boxes. The port’s import volumes, on the other hand, dipped 1.9 percent.
   Los Angeles remains the nation’s largest container port. Last year, container traffic grew 6 percent to 8.3 million TEUs, the third largest total in its history.