Trade surges ahead of peak summer shipping season

MOL Brilliance at International Transportation Service at Pier G in 2018.The Port of Long Beach had the busiest May in its 107-year history, as dockworkers handled 687,427 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containerized cargo, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same month a year ago.

Imports increased 7.3 percent last month to 361,056 TEUs. Exports totaled 142,412 TEUs, up 19.9 percent, while empty containers decreased 4.6 percent, to 183,959 TEUs. Through the first five months of the year, the Port has moved 3.2 million TEUs, 14.6 percent above last year’s pace.

“International trade continues to be a thriving part of the economy, and cargo continues to flow across our docks as we focus on delivering goods quickly, efficiently and at a good cost,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “We look forward to a robust peak season this summer and fall.” West Coast seaports are typically busier in the summer months as retailers stock up for the holidays.

“E-commerce has transformed the supply chain to deliver goods rapidly and then replenish them based on consumer demand,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “Since the U.S. economy is strong, that’s part of our record May result, which also ranks as one of our best months ever.”

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-­Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.

	May			Fiscal Year to Date***
	2018**	2017	%Change	2018***	2017	%Change
Loaded Inbound	361,056	336,594	7.3%	2,612,101	2,262,004	15.5%
Loaded Outbound	142,412	118,786	19.9%	1,068,010	964,123	10.8%
Empties	183,959	192,908	-4.6%	1,499,426	1,231,600	21.7%
TOTAL (T.E.U.)	687,427	648,287	6.0%	5,179,537	4,457,726	16.2%