Renewed activity at Hanjin terminal boosts Long Beach volumes

The Southern California port’s container volumes surged 8.7 percent year-over-year in January to 582,689 TEUs.    The Port of Long Beach said that renewed activity at its largest terminal, combined with extra ships calling the port ahead of the Lunar New Year boosted cargo volumes 8.7 percent in January from a year prior to 582,689 TEUs.
   Exports in January reached 118,234 TEUs, while imports totaled 298,990 TEUs, year-over-year increases of 10.8 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, empties being sent back to the Far East rose 9.6 percent from January 2016 to 165,465 TEUs.
   The port benefitted from renewed activity at the Pier T Terminal, operated by Total Terminals International (TTI), which is now controlled by Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Co. that Hyundai Merchant Marine also has a minority stake in.
   TIL purchased a majority stake in the terminal after Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy last year.
   Port of Long Beach Interim Chief Executive Duane Kenagy said with new alliances beginning this spring, 2017 is expected to be a transition year for the industry. “Long Beach stands ready to provide a dependable harbor as carriers adjust to new services, while we continue upgrading our berths and rail network to speed their cargo inland,” Kenagy said.