PORT OF LONG BEACH JULY VOLUMES SET RECORDS

PORT OF LONG BEACH JULY VOLUMES SET RECORDS    The Port of Long Beach set records in July for total container volume, total imported containers and total empty units handled for the month.
   Paced by a 19.9-percent increase in inbound containers, to 249,000 TEUs, total volume rose 19.2 percent to more than 450,000 units. Leading imports included Asian-made clothing, toys, shoes, handbags and consumer electronics, as retailers stock up for end-of-summer and fall retail seasons, the port said.
   Exports were off for the second straight month, falling 9.6 percent to 70,000 TEUs. Leading exports included factory equipment and raw materials, such as plastics, chemicals and recycled waste paper.
   Empty containers, nearly all heading back to Asia to be reloaded with cargo, totaled 131,000 TEUs, a 41.9-percent increase.