Amid preparations for the holiday shopping season, Port of Long Beach officials announced Wednesday that cargo volumes rose for a consecutive month in October.
"Cargo is rebounding and we are continuing to collaborate with our industry partners to recapture market share and invest in infrastructure that will position us for future growth," Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a statement. "We are anticipating moderate growth through the rest of the year as retailers continue to stock shelves for the winter holidays."
Dock workers and terminal operators moved 755,150 twenty-foot equivalent units last month, which is up 14.7% compared to October 2022. While imports increased by 23.6%, or roughly 363,300 TEUs, port officials reported a decrease in exports by 24.8%, about 90,073 TEUs, in October.
Empty containers that moved through the port rose by 23.3% to 301,777 TEUs.
"We appreciate the hard work of our terminal operators, truckers, dock workers and all of our supply chain partners who keep the goods moving through our port and delivered to our communities, region, state and nation," Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. said in a statement.
During the first 10 months of 2023, the port moved 6.5 million TEUs, which is down 17.8% from the same period last year. According to port officials, cargo flows this year have been on pace with pre-pandemic levels, when the port moved more than 6.36 million TEUs through October 2019.
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