Port of Los Angeles reports first half volumes rise despite weak June

The Southern California port saw cargo volumes rise 5.9 percent year-over-year for the first six months of 2016.    Overall cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles declined in June when compared to the same month last year, but rose 5.9 percent for the first six months of 2016 compared to the corresponding period last year.
   “We’re encouraged with year-over-year growth in the first half of 2016, even though June was not as robust as the same period in 2015 due to industry trade patterns,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement. “We are hard at work with our stakeholders optimizing supply chain efficiencies, building unparalleled infrastructure and listening to our customers.”
   In June, cargo volumes slipped 6.3 percent year-over-year, partly resulting from a sharp drop in the number of empty containers handled. June loaded imports totaled 355,622 TEUs, while loaded exports reached 140,561 TEUs, a year-over-year drop of 3.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.
   Combined, total loaded volumes slipped 3.1 percent to 496,184 TEUs. Along with a decrease in empty containers of 14.2 percent, overall June volumes stood at 676,006 TEUs, a decrease of 6.3 percent compared to June 2015.
   Despite a decrease in June volumes, year-to-date volumes registered at 4.13 million TEUs compared to 3.9 million TEUs in the same period last year.