Container cargo volumes swell 14 percent in March

The Inner Harbor at the Port of Long Beach.The Port of Long Beach has completed its best-ever first quarter, with marine terminals handling almost 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) January through March. The quick start is 19.4 percent more than the first quarter of 2017, the Port’s busiest year ever.

The previous first quarter record was set in 2007. 

March throughput reached 575,258 TEUs, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to the same month last year. 

“Our March cargo jumped despite the shipping slowdown during the Lunar New Year holiday in China,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “One of the most encouraging signs throughout this surge in cargo last year and this year is the operational efficiency at our marine terminals. We are handling record levels of cargo with no delays.”

Dockworkers moved 267,824 import TEUs in March, 7.3 percent more than a year ago. Exports grew 18.3 percent to 142,419 TEUs. The large number of imported goods demanded by American consumers meant container ships hauled 165,015 empty TEUs overseas to be refilled.

“Our business development trips are bringing us more trade activity,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “We see favorable responses during our visits with our overseas partners. We’re pleased to be off to a great start in 2018 following a successful 2017 for us and our industry partners.”

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.

March 2018 

Container Trade in TEUs*

  March Fiscal Year to Date***
  2018** 2017 %Change 2018*** 2017 %Change
Loaded Inbound 267,824 249,534 7.3% 1,938,670 1,637,203 18.4%
Loaded Outbound 142,419 120,435 18.3% 783,800 729,078 7.5%
Empties 165,015 135,413 21.9% 1,151,202 885,145 30.1%
TOTAL (T.E.U.) 575,258 505,382 13.8% 3,873,672 3,251,426 19.1%

*TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container
**Preliminary estimate 
The size of cargo containers range from 20 feet long to more than 50 feet long.
The international measure is the smallest box, the 20-footer or 20-foot-equivalent unit (TEU).
*** Fiscal Year = Oct. 1 through Sep. 30.