b'28American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comCalifornia ports: Solid outlookAUTO LOGISTICS 2024for autosCalifornias ports and auto processors showing improvements in an uncertain market.Pete Goldin, AJOTCalifornia ports and auto proces- VanDijkaddsthatchanging sors are reporting a mix of results fordemands for traditional gas vs. elec-autocargo,butgenerallyindicatingtric vs. hybrid vehicles has an impact slight gains and a positive outlook. but that outlook is uncertain, because For example, last year Port of Lositdependsonwhichpoliticalparty Angelessurpassedthepre-COVIDwins the upcoming U.S. election.benchmarkof2019(123,091units)I would say that stability in poli-for the first time since the pandemic.cies would be very welcome in this The Port has one auto terminal thatindustry, VanDijk adds.handlesInfiniti,MazdaandNissanVanDijk also notes that the recent vehicles.The2023volumewasILA strike on the East and Gulf Coasts 156,340units,comparedto110,965has not impacted auto imports at Port for 2022, driven in part by additionalofLosAngeles.Youdontseea importsfrombrandslike Volvoanddiversionofwholeshipsthatwere Kia. For the first half of 2024, autobound for the East Coast coming to imports at Port of Los Angeles werePort of Los Angeles because our labor about 91,000 units, up 10% from thewouldbesympathetictothelabor same period last year (83,000 units).issues on the East Coast, he asserts.Auto imports are expected to soften a(SOLIDcontinued on page 30) Vessel uses landside electricity while at berth instead of running diesel-fueled auxiliary engines.little in the second half of 2024, still leavingPortofLos Angeleswitha slight gain for the year.ofA spokesperson for Wallenius Wil- THEPORThelmsen,theautoprocessoratPort LosAngeles,saidthecompanys global deep-sea auto volumes contin-ued to grow from Q1 to Q2 driven by growing exports out of Asia. Inventoryfor NATIONlevel increases, as OEMs are in the pro-cess of introducing new models, andOURpotential impacts of tariffs against Chi-nese exports may cause more modest volume development in the latter part oftheyear.However,globaltrans-portationcapacityremainsstretched and even if new capacity is added, the marketoutlookremainssolid,the spokesperson says.Meanwhile, Port of Long Beachwhich handles Toyota and Mercedes-Benzcame close to pre-pandemic volumes(302,811in2019)with 271,183 units in 2023, an 8% increase over 2022. Port of Long Beach says 2024isontrackforsimilarresults as 2023, and the Port expects similar volumes in 2025 as well.PortofSanDiegothelarg-est Ro/Ro facility on the West Coastwith 362,554 units in 2023, is still farbelowthepre-pandemicbench-markyearof2019(520,637units), although2023numbersrepresenta 5.2% increase over 2022. Preliminary estimates for 2024 show Port of San DiegowhichhandlesVWGroup, Glovis, Toyota, Ford, Stellantis, GM, HondaandIsuzuwithaminor decrease of -3.2% over last year. Pasha Group, auto processor for Port of San Diego, adds, U.S. light vehiclesalesareexpectedtosee incremental growth over the next few years, with U.S. growth rate lagging behind Asias growth rate.D riViNgF actOrsMore cars and light trucks handled than any other U.S. portCaliforniaportsandprocessors cite several factors impacting the auto Vehicles that come through Baltimore serve 30 statescargosector.MarcelVanDijk,Port of Los Angeles Marketing Manager, Excellent location right off I-95 and minutes from I-70 to the Midwestsays that lowering interest rates and inflationintheU.S.willencourage Experienced and highly skilled laborauto purchases, which drive imports. Wallenius Wilhelmsen points out, Unique quality programsDuring Q2 there was a build-up in inventories globally and we are nowMarylandports.com 1.800.638.7519likelyproceedingtowardsamarket where sales need to support produc- Governor Wes MooreMDOT Secretary Paul. J. Wiedefeld Executive Director Jonathan Danielstion, as much of the sales backlog seen in recent years have been absorbed.'