SIMIC

THE Port of Los Angeles has suffered a 43 per cent year-on-year container throughput decline just as rival Long Beach lifted 31.7 per cent fewer containers this February than last.
Total cargo at the Port of Los Angeles reached 487,846 TEU in February, while container traffic at neighbouring Port of Long Beach also declined to 543,675 TEU last month.
"February declines were exacerbated by an overall slowdown in global trade, extended Lunar New Year holiday closures in Asia, overstocked warehouses and a shift away from west coast ports," said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka.
"While we expect more cargo moving crossing our docks in March, volume will likely remain lighter than average in the first half of 2023. We're using this volume lull to focus on new data and infrastructure initiatives to improve efficiency in preparation for increased throughput," he said.
Long Beach imports came in at 254,970 TEU and were off 34.7 per cent annually, with exports, at 110,919 TEU, down 5.9 per cent.
"Trade continues to normalise following the record-breaking cargo numbers we saw at the start of last year," said Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero. "We are investing in infrastructure projects that will keep us competitive as we collaborate with industry stakeholders to focus on trade volume."