Overall containers in August grow 8 percent compared to same month last year
A tugboat maneuvers a K Line ship at the Port of Long Beach in May 2017.Strong consumer demand for goods continued to push cargo higher at the Port of Long Beach, as imports surged more than 10 percent in August compared to the same month last year. The figure was the third-highest monthly import total in the Port’s 106-year history. Long Beach terminals processed 692,375 twenty-foot equivalent units in all — 8 percent more than last August’s shipments — making it the second-busiest August ever and the third-highest container volume for any month. Cargo is up 6.6 percent for the first eight months of the year over 2016. Port of Long Beach  Latest Month Container Trade in TEUs
  August Fiscal Year to Date***
  2017** 2016 %Change 2017*** 2016 %Change
Loaded Inbound 355715 321625 10.60% 3331866 3231361 3.10%
Loaded Outbound 117290 159247 -26.30% 1325815 1417658 -6.50%
Empties 219370 160157 37.00% 1871458 1750433 6.90%
TOTAL (T.E.U.) 692375 641029 8.00% 6529139 6399452 2.00%
*“We are on pace to have our highest import year ever and one of our best years, period,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “Our inbound traffic during this peak season signifies optimism among retailers for the holiday season. Simply put, shoppers are buying more, and retailers are restocking their shelves.” “The modest economic growth we’ve seen since the Great Recession has been replaced this year by robust gains, at least when measured by goods coming into the United States,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “Shippers are choosing Long Beach for that because we have the best service and most modern facilities of any seaport in the nation.” Imports were up 10.6 percent last month against August 2016, to 355,715 TEUs. Exports trended downward, with 117,290 outbound containers loaded onto ships, a 26.3 percent decrease due to shifts in vessel alliances. Empty containers going back to Asia to be refilled with goods climbed to 219,370 TEUs, a 37 percent increase. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.