Port of Oakland reports surge in export volumes

Port says a softer U.S. dollar and big agricultural harvests resulted in a 20 percent increase in container exports in October.    The Port of Oakland handled 89,473 TEUs of export containers in October, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year, the port said.
   Overall loaded container volumes surged 11.4 percent, with imports ticking up 2 percent.
   The export container volumes last month were the highest since October 2013 and the fourth-largest month in the port’s total in its history.
   The Port of Oakland said the figures “cap a yearlong rally that has lifted Oakland exports 10 percent above 2015 volume year-to-date.”
   “Increased export volume is nothing new – we’ve reported gains in nine of the first 10 months of the year,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “But the amount of volume growth highlights just how strong this rally is.”
   “A softer U.S. dollar and healthy agricultural harvests helped drive export gains,” the port said. “Growers in California’s Central, Napa and Salinas valleys depend on Oakland to reach markets in Asia.”