POLB, POLA Cargo Count Slides in February

Cargo terminals in February at the Port of Long Beach moved 20.1 percent fewer containers than the same month this past year due to congestion issues that all West Coast seaports face.
A total of 413,114 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containerized cargo were moved through the port in February. Imports were recorded at 204,462 TEUs, a 24.7 percent decrease. Exports fell 22.9 percent to 110,711 TEUs. Empty containers saw a decline of 3.9 percent to 97,941 TEUs. With imports exceeding exports, empty containers are sent overseas to be refilled with goods.
The congestion issues that worsened in February played the biggest role in the cargo declines, just as they did in January, which had seen an 18.8 percent drop from the same month last year. However, the outlook is more promising. By the end of February, a tentative new contract for dockworkers was announced, federal regulators granted permission for Long Beach and its neighbor the Port of Los Angeles to collaborate on congestion relief, and private chassis fleets in the region agreed to pool their resources.
This past year, against which 2015 is being compared, was the third-busiest year in port history with a total of 6.82 million TEUs.
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POLA Container Volumes Decrease in February

February cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles decreased 10.2 percent compared to the same period this past year.

The decline was due to terminal congestion and supply chain challenges during labor negotiations. A tentative agreement between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union was reached on Feb. 20, 2015.  Current and historical data is available at www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp

Imports dropped 10.7 percent, from 284,812 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in February 2014 to 254,225 TEUs in February 2015. Exports declined 10.3 percent, from 146,925 TEUs in February 2014 to 131,806 TEUs in February 2015. Combined, total loaded imports and exports fell 10.6 percent, from 431,738 TEUs in February 2014 to 386,031 TEUs in February 2015. Factoring in empties, which fell 9 percent,  overall February 2015 volumes (502,663 TEUs) declined 10.2 percent.