PORT OF LONG BEACH FEBRUARY VOLUME JUMPS 16%

PORT OF LONG BEACH FEBRUARY VOLUME JUMPS 16%    The Port of Long Beach said its February container cargo volume rose 16.4 percent to 362,983 TEUs, the biggest monthly increase in 20 months.
   Import container volume jumped 30.4 percent to 202,276 TEUs, the biggest monthly increase in imports in three years, and further fueling hopes transpacific eastbound volumes are recovering.
   Exports also improved 10.3 percent, to 83,333 TEUs, also the biggest increase in 20 months. With more loaded outbound containers, the number of empty containers shipped fell 4.5 percent to 77,374 TEUs.
   'Retailers are replenishing their inventories and American consumers continue to buy as the economic news improves,' said Richard D. Steinke, the port's executive director. 'We still need to be cautious, however, because the 16 percent increase is over our weakest month for all of last year.'
   Through the first five months of its fiscal year, started Oct. 1, Long Beach has handled 1.87 million TEUs, up 0.7 percent over the year-earlier period.
   Last week, the port of Los Angeles reported its inbound containers climbed a record 52 percent.