San Pedro News Briefs; Ports’ Cargo Slows, Barragán Delivers Infrastructure Funding and Veterans Shelter Comes to Pedro

POLA/POLB Cargo Volume Remains Soft

SAN PEDRO/LONG BEACH — Cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles dropped in October as the port handled 678,429 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), a 25% decrease from October 2021. The Port of Los Angeles has processed 8,542,944 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2022, about 6% down from last year’s record pace. 

“Additionally, cargo has shifted away from the West Coast as some shippers await the conclusion of labor contract negotiations,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said during a media briefing. “We’ll do everything in our power to get that cargo back because the best route between Asia and the United States is straight through the Port of Los Angeles.”

Seroka was joined at the briefing by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Dr. Jerry Nickelsburg, Director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. 

October 2022 loaded imports reached 336,307 TEUs, down 28% compared to the previous year. Loaded exports came in at 89,722 TEUs, a decline of 8.7% compared to last October. Empty containers landed at 252,401 TEUs, a 25% year-over-year decline.

As RLn reported this week, in Long Beach, October saw slow shipments as well. Cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach eased up in October following reduced consumer demand and a shift of imported goods toward the Gulf and East coasts.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 658,428 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo containers last month, a 16.6% decline from October 2021. Imports were down 23.7% to 293,924 TEUs and exports decreased 2% to 119,763 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port fell 13.4% to 244,743 TEUs. 

A POLA press release stated, despite surging inflation and interest rates, economists say consumers still have enough resources to weather economic headwinds. It continued; experts feel softening consumer activity will lead to a better balance between supply and demand, and reduce stress on the national supply chain.

The Port of Long Beach has moved 8,000,811 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2022, up 1.5% from the same period in 2021.

Details: POLA’s November 2022 cargo briefing: https://tinyurl.com/n3v5za8t and polb.com/statistics.

Rep. Barragán Delivers Vital Infrastructure Funding to LA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the first anniversary of the signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) highlights the $16.3 billion in funding for California and more than $179 million so far going directly to or serving the constituents of CA-44.

Rep. Barragán said California’s 44th District is already starting to see some of the benefits. The district has received a grant that supports investment in electric school buses for Compton Unified School District, and funding to build the nation’s largest fleet of electric cargo equipment at the Port of Long Beach.  

As a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the 44th District of California will benefit from:

• $104 million for battery-electric buses on public transit lines serving communities of the LA Harbor, South LA, and Southeast LA;
• $30 million for the nation’s largest fleet of zero emission, manually operated cargo handling equipment at the Port of Long Beach;
• $20 million to reduce truck traffic and improve cargo movement at the Port of LA;
• $15.4 million to support an advanced water treatment facility and reduce local reliance on imported water in South LA County;
• $9.8 million to purchase 25 new electric school buses serving students at Compton Unified School District;
• $159,000 for infrastructure improvements at Woodley Airport in Compton.

Veterans Shelter Coming To San Pedro

SAN PEDRO — Local nonprofit Volunteers of America and Los Angeles County are partnering to convert a closed motel in San Pedro (the former Best Western on Gaffey St. and 1st St.) into interim housing for homeless veterans. 

There will be round-the-clock security and all of the veterans will get the supportive services they need and help getting new jobs and permanent housing.Remodeling has already begun and the first veterans will begin moving in as of December.

The interim housing will provide 60 rooms.Services for these veterans include mental health care long–term case management, supportive services, and permanent housing assistance plus job counseling, placement, and résumé preparation