Posted on February 21, 2022
The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) has processed 865,595 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in January, a 3.6-percent increase compared to last year. It was the Port’s busiest January in its 115-year history.
January’s record numbers followed a historic year in 2021, during which North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value saw a 13-percent increase over its previous record year in 2018. POLA facilitated 259 billion U.S. dollars in trade during 2020.
POLA’s Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement released Thursday that the key data showed the operation efficiency in the port had improved significantly in recent weeks.
“Our record-breaking January reflects the great efforts of our longshore workers, truckers and terminal operators as we continue to focus on additional operational efficiencies in the months ahead,” Seroka said during a wide-ranging virtual media briefing, where he announced the January volume.
According to POLA, January 2022 loaded imports reached 427,208 TEUs compared to the previous year, a slight decline of 2.4 percent, while loaded exports came in at 100,185 TEUs, a 16-percent decrease compared to the same period last year. However, empty containers climbed to 338,202 TEUs, a jump of 21.4 percent compared to last year due to the continued heavy demand in Asia.
Exports have now declined 35 of the last 39 months in Los Angeles.
