Ports Briefs: LA and LB Ports Poised to Exceed 20 Million Cargo Containers in 2024

Port of Los Angeles Cargo Volume Up 16% in November
LOS ANGELES — The Port of Los Angeles processed 884,315 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in November, a 16% increase over the previous year. Eleven months into 2024, the Port of Los Angeles has moved 9,375,735 TEUs, 19% ahead of its 2023 pace.

“We are well on pace to exceed 10 million container units for only the second time in our 117-year history,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It’s a remarkable milestone that we owe to the collective efforts of our partners: The women and men of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, our trucking community, terminal operators, rail partners and many others whose efforts continue to elevate the Port of Los Angeles to new heights.”

Scott Kelly, vice president of Ocean Services, The Americas for Expeditors International joined Seroka at the Dec. 17 media briefing. Kelly discussed tariffs, East and Gulf coast labor issues and the role that logistics companies like Expeditors play in the global supply chain.

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November 2024 loaded imports came in at 458,165 TEUs, a 19% increase compared to the previous year. Loaded exports came in at 124,117 TEUs, an 11% increase over 2023. The port processed 302,033 empty containers, a 13% jump compared to 2023.

Port of Long Beach Achieves Busiest November
Buoyed by six straight months of historic volumes, the Port of Long Beach is on course to reach 9.6 million cargo containers by the end of 2024 without congestion or other disruption and exceeding the previous record set during the pandemic in 2021.

The Port of Long Beach also achieved its busiest November, when dockworkers and terminal operators moved 884,154 twenty-foot equivalent units, up 20.9% from the same month last year and surpassing the previous record set in November 2020 by 12.8%.

Imports grew 21.8% to 432,823 TEUs and exports rose 9.5% to 119,083 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port increased 24.5% to 332,250 TEUs. November also marked the port’s sixth consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase.

“Imports are being driven by strong consumer demand while retailers continue to move cargo here out of concern for labor negotiations at ports on the East and Gulf coasts,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We will continue to handle this influx of cargo smoothly and with zero disruptions through the end of 2024.”

The port has moved 8,788,718 TEUs through the first 11 months of 2024, up 20.2% from the same period last year.