Posted on March 27, 2023
The Port of Los Angeles has witnessed a significant throughput decline last month, moving 43 per cent less than its previous February’s all-time record.
Total cargo at the port reached 487,846 TEU in February, while container traffic at neighbouring Port of Long Beach also declined to 543,675 TEU last month, down a third from the same month last year.
“February declines were exacerbated by an overall slowdown in global trade, extended Lunar New Year holiday closures in Asia, overstocked warehouses and a shift away from West Coast ports,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.
“While we expect more cargo moving crossing our docks in March, volume will likely remain lighter than average in the first half of 2023.
“We’re using this volume lull to focus on new data and infrastructure initiatives to improve efficiency in preparation for increased throughput,” Seroka added.
February 2023 loaded imports reached 249,407 TEU, down 41 per cent compared to the previous year.
Loaded exports came in at 82,404 TEU, a decline of 14 per cent compared to last year.
Empty containers landed at 156,035 TEU, a 54 per cent year-over-year decline.
So far in 2023, total container volume stands at 1,2 million TEU down a third compared to 1,7 million TEU in 2022.
The two agreements include the testing and deployment of zero-emission vehicles, cargo handling equipment, vessels, exploring energy use, and alternative energy sources.
